Wakin' up in Ba Sing Se
by Sokka's Fan-Lawyer
Summary: Post War;While drinking away his sorrows in Ba Sing Se,Sokka meets an old friend;they catch up and party,but wake up the next day not remembering most of it.Now wanted felons and with half the city practically destroyed,they have to get out of town before the law and the unlawful alike catch up and make them actually pay their bills...one way or the other.T for language.
1. Chapter 1

**Hey there, Sokka's Fan-Lawyer here! **

**Yes, I know it's been a while…trust me, no one is more surprised than myself to see that my writing career is still alive…perhaps it had a Phoenix Down equipped or something, I don't know. Regardless, I hope that you like what was supposed to be a one shot …but it wound up dragging on a little longer than I anticipated and so I divided it up a bit for convenience…but it would be nice if you read it in one go, if you can (actually, just reading it at all would make me ecstatic). **

**This was inspired once I heard the Katy Perry song "Waking up in Vegas" (I snickered to myself "I could so see Sokka and Toph doing that…hey, wait a second….") and believe it or not, the Hangover had no real influence over this (I haven't even seen most of the movie yet). But enough with the author commentary; on with the fanfic!**

**(Also, see if you can spot all the references I have worked in here, to other shows/movies or whatever, since I did throw a few in here.)**

**Rating: T for heavy language and mild suggestive themes.**

**Disclaimer: If I owned Avatar the Last Airbender, Sokka, Toph, and Zuko would have gotten their own spin off and the movie wouldn't have been…itself. So obviously, I don't; Nickelodeon does.**

...

"Hit me." Sokka groaned as he rested his throbbing forehead against the bar's cool surface, his empty glass held out expectantly to the less than eager bartender.

"I don't know son, that's your fourth glass; this imported Cactus Juice is some strong stuff…" Sokka snorted as he raised his head enough to give the bartender a quizzing gaze.

"Right; my friend, I've had Cactus Juice straight from the Spirits damn cactus; do you think this watered down piss is going to have anything on that?" The bartender's empathy faded at the insult; without another word, he poured the green liquid and left. The Water Tribe warrior scoffed as he lifted the glass to his lips. The second the liquid touched his tongue, he gagged; this was truly terrible liquor. Still, he forced it down anyway; better to focus on the burning than to let his thoughts wander. Sounds of the room around him began to creep across his mind as he unconsciously stirred his drink with his finger. The singer on the large wooden stage behind him seemed to be mumbling her lines, giving the impression that she wasn't quite as confident as she should be; however, given the hoots and hollers she was getting from men twice her age, the poor woman's discomfort was going over looked. Still, what else did one expect from the Drunken Lemur, the best bar in all of Ba Sing Se's lowest ring? Even after the conclusion to the 100 year war with the Fire Nation of those three years ago and all the reformation since, Ba Sing Se, as the Earth Kingdom's capital, maintained its class segregation behind its large stone ring dividers that helped cut off each level from the rest of the city. At this point, the lowest ring housed not just the artisans and manual laborers, but the pleasure district as well.

From casinos and hotels, to quick-marriage churches to even quicker divorce agencies, the District was well known throughout the Earth Kingdom…as to why Sokka found himself drawn there of all places, he couldn't quite put his finger on it. He just had to go somewhere…anywhere, and his feet had led him there. Sure, he could tell himself that he was purely on Restoration Alliance business-it had been awhile since the world governments had taken a good look at Ba Sing Se's operations, given their global unity fixation and yada yada. So why not? It's not like Sokka, of the original Team Avatar, the ragtag group of teens that had found and aided the latest incarnation of the Avatar, Aang, in ending the whole damn war to begin with, had much else to do.

When it came time to take their places in guiding the new world order, Sokka had been passed over for the heavier roles. As his skills mostly ranged from war strategy and sarcasm, the Southern Water Tribe youth was not exactly suited for the heavier diplomatic stuff; nowadays, he did research for Aang and, occasionally even, Fire Lord Zuko, the heir to the throne after Aang had defeated the previous ruler and put a stop to the War once and for all. Otherwise, he was frequently twiddling his thumbs out on the isolated Kyoshi Island with….he shook his head to stop himself; he didn't feel inclined to pursue that train of the thought now.

Sokka sighed; in a way, the world seemed simpler when it had been at war; at least then, the bad guys were obvious, and everyone was united. Now…it wasn't as clear what was right anymore; should you kick the crap out of a political asshole or negotiate? Stand and talk while a problem only worsened? Sokka knew which option he would take, even if he wasn't born with the ability to bend or manipulate the elements, like half the people in the world were, which probably explained why his sister had kept him as far away from Court as possible. Why was he so feeling so gloomy lately? Not that the bar's darken, nourish atmosphere was improving it much. The temperature was cool, unusual for a city so close to the desert; perhaps the bar's stony interior added to it? Sokka didn't care enough to get bothered by it. If there was one thing he was used to, it was the cold, especially given how he and his sister had grown up in the South Pole, after all.

The door along the wall to his left suddenly slammed open. Sokka jumped, shaken from his reverie, his Juice spilling to the floor. A short, cloaked person came through, muttering under their breath. Sokka just stared as the person's dark green cloak brushed against his fallen glass, not that the person noticed. "Fucking idiots." She –the voice was definitely female-cursed. She hopped up on the stool next to Sokka and shouted to the bartender. "Give me your best excuse for a drink!" Sokka pointed to the floor.

"You just walked over it."

"Oh shut up, Snoozles…" Time seemed to stand still as recognition set in. "Sokka?"

"Toph?" Sokka gaped; what were the odds of him running into someone he knew, much less his best friend? She pulled down her hood and gave him an almost happy smirk.

"I thought I recognized that heartbeat; I was just too pissed to realize…Wow. It's been awhile, huh?"

"Yeah!" Sokka began to nod, but stopped once he remembered she was blind. "Yeah…you seem to have changed a bit." This was true; it appeared the earthbender had finally hit puberty. Now she was a bit taller, but still short enough to be called petite; her dark bangs were just bit longer, reaching her neck, while the rest of her hair was still in her trademark bun, complete with headband. Her shirt left her arms bare, revealing a black bracelet that hung by her left bicep. "I see you still have the space earth thing." She smiled as she patted said space earth.

"Of course; not every day you get a piece of space rock, right? It's really come in handy….Oh that's right! Did you ever find your space sword?" Sokka groaned as he rested his chin on the counter, pouting.

"No….I still can't believe I lost it while we were stopping that stupid Air Ship fleet! I mean come on! It and boomerang; those were my trademark!" He sulked until Toph punched him in the arm.

"Oh suck it up, you baby." She paused as Sokka rubbed his now bruised arm and the bartender placed her drink before her. "So, what have you been up to?" she took a stiff drink while Sokka shrugged.

"Well, right after the War, me and Katara went back to the Southern Water Tribe with our dad, and helped rebuild the place, you know?"

"No, I don't."

"Oh right, you didn't see it…" she waved her hand in front of her face pointedly. "You know what I mean! Anyway, it only took a year to rebuild most of the place; it's not just a small cluster of tents surrounded by icebergs and snow anymore."

"It's a couple of buildings surrounded by icebergs and ice?" Toph suggested. Sokka glared.

"I'll have you know that there is a wall too."

"So it's a few buildings filled with snow, surrounded by a wall, surrounded by icebergs and more snow….sounds great. A real metropolis."

"Oh yeah? Well…well…."his retort cut off; it was hard to argue with the heiress to one of the Earth Kingdom's wealthiest families, who lived in a larger city, about location. "Well, what about you? Where you've been the past few years? Last I heard, you had Aang drop you off at some town and you went off into the wilderness or something." It was Toph's turn to sigh.

"I've been trying to teach idiots metalbending."

"You can do that?" That was a surprise; Sokka thought that Toph was the only earthbender who was capable of such bending, since her blindness sharpened her abilities enough to find the flakes of earth left in refined steel.

"It's doable, if someone's willing to focus so hard, their eyeballs blow up." She scowled while Sokka frowned.

"Charming visual." He pushed the glass the bartender had reluctantly placed before him aside. "So…how's that going?" Her scowl only deepened.

"Nowhere. You'd think most earthbenders have shit for brains or something; it's a miracle they can move a pebble, much less steel."

"Well, not everyone can be well…you." Sokka stared at his drink, thought for a few seconds, then reached for it.

"So what? That's no excuse for no talent." She took a swift chug from her mug. Finally, she turned to Sokka. "Anyway, what brings you here?"

The Water Tribe man choked on his Cactus Juice. "Um…well…" he stammered. He himself had been wondering the same thing mere minutes ago. "I just…wanted to take a trip is all; it's been awhile, you know? Years ago, we traveled everywhere, so I guess I'm just not used to sticking in one place again…." Toph gave him a knowing look. "What?"

"Snoozles, in my experience, there are only a few reasons why anyone would wanted to get wasted out of their minds: One, to have a good time, two, to hang out with friends while having a good time, and three, to drown out bad thoughts until you can't even think anymore. Judging by the fact that you're sitting here pitifully by yourself, I'm going to guess it's the last one. Don't take me for an idiot." Sokka blinked; he hadn't really thought he was being that obvious.

"Oh yeah, you're that obvious." The bartender chimed in as he refilled Sokka's glass. "Trust me; you have the Pai Sho face of a gullible monk." Sokka gawked.

"Get out of here; don't you have better things to do?" The bartender just stuck his tongue out at him and left. Before Sokka could reach his glass, Toph took it from his hands and dangled it in front of him.

"No story, no Juice." Sokka glared at her, then visibly slumped, resigned.

"It's nothing that big…."

"Oh obviously; did you seriously not hear a word I said?"

"Shut up." Toph punched him in the arm. Sokka hissed, then continued. "After the War and I helped rebuild my village, Katara and I went our separate ways, you know?"

"Yeah, didn't she move in with Twinkle Toes?" Sokka scowled.

"You mean Aang? Yeah, don't even get me started on that…."

"Look on the bright side; it could've been Zuko." Sokka took a swift drink from his glass.

_"Anyway…_she went with Aang to help rebuild the world…me? I went to Kyoshi Island. To live with Suki."

"Oh yeah, I remember hearing that. She was the one that you broke out of that Fire Nation prison, right? The swimmer?"

"Yeah, yeah; you know her better than that and you know it. Anyway, that was two years ago. It was like I had imagined, you know? After Yue die died-that was before you joined up-, I didn't trust myself with a relationship…she convinced me otherwise; she kicked my ass for being a 'drama queen' and 'over protective', if you can believe it." Toph snorted.

"Oh, I can believe that; I'd do the same thing." Sokka coughed pointedly. "Oh, don't let me stop you; carry on."

"Anyway…so once the war was over, it only seemed right for me to finally go the next step; live with her without being on the run, you know? And at first it was great…even if that Ty Lee girl was kind of weird to be around."

"That Fire Nation chi blocker that used to follow Azula around?"

"Yeah, apparently she and the Kyoshi women warriors bonded in prison, so she joined up once she was released. She's just so…overly crazy! It's like there's never a quiet moment when she's around."

"Much like you?"

"Shut up. Anyway, things were great…to begin with." Toph's smirk fell as she noticed her friend's tone drop.

"The first year, we were never apart; always together, doing that usual couple crap." Sokka smiled bitterly. "Yeah, yeah, it seems a bit lame and corny, but once you get into your first relationship, you'll understand….Spirits, that makes me sound so old. But after a certain point…I noticed a difference in her. She began to go off on her own for days at a time, she threw herself into training the next generation of Kyoshi Warriors, and…almost seemed to avoid me, you know?" Toph silently nodded, sympathetic. "That went on for a few months, and truth be told, that's when I began to think about traveling again. Maybe I wasn't meant to be stuck in one place forever; I don't know. But once I began to talk to Suki about this, she exploded at me! I don't know what the hell happened, but suddenly we're arguing and yelling…." He paused and stared into his drink. "We wound up waking the other warriors up and they came barging in to see what the matter was and…I don't know, they saw us arguing and suddenly they're accusing me as if I'm the bad guy! They knew me for years and suddenly they think I turned into some womanizer jerk overnight! Well, I defended myself, but that only made things worse. By the time the sun had risen, I had put myself on the next boat off the Island."

"Wow…" Toph mumbled quietly; Sokka took a deep breath.

"After that, I just walked. Anywhere, you know?" He snorted. "I bet those hippies we met would have been proud. Anyway, by the time I noticed, it turned out my feet led me to the Serpent's Pass, the place where we ran into Suki before we went to Ba Sing Se, remember? So I kept going, followed the Pass, and wound up at Ba Sing Se. I've been here ever since." He fell silent; even the rowdy men around them didn't breach the heaviness that surrounded him.

"Did you try to talk to Katara and Aang? Hell, even Zuko? Spirits know he's seen his fair share of female shit with Mai."

"Are you kidding? They're too busy fixing the freaking world; they don't have time for one guy's love life…besides, Zuko and Mai are at least still together; you don't see him running for the hills just because she has mood issues." Sokka's stared sullenly into his glass, as if an answer would drift up from the swirling liquid. "Toph…I may have fucked up something good here…." Toph stared at her friend, conscious of his obvious pain; even when they had been cornered by Fire Nation soldiers, thousands of feet in the air, and helpless, she had never seen him look so defeated. She let him sit there for a minute, then sighed. She rested her hand on his shoulder, which had gotten higher than it had been before; he must have gotten taller.

"Hey bartender! Give me two of your best; my friend and I need a double each!" While the bartender hurried himself with the demand, Sokka looked at Toph, confused.

"Why?" She grinned.

"I told you, didn't I? There are reasons that people drink: our's is going to be that we're trying to have good time, not being whiny bitches." Sokka still looked dazed; Toph rolled her eyes as the bartender rested the new drinks before them. "I'm saying that I can out drink you, dumbass."

"I find that unlikely…you're too tiny." He mumbled as he grabbed the glass. She smiled a bit; the half assed jab meant that he was at least listening. She punched him in the arm.

"Oh yeah? You couldn't out drink a baby Moose Lion!" She raised her glass in challenge; Sokka reluctantly joined the toast. "To the best night we've had in forever!"

"To lucky reunions." He smiled a little, his bad mood easing a bit. Then he began to chug….

...


	2. Chapter 2

...

"Si…." The sound slowly drifted across Sokka's mind. Was someone talking to him? A sudden throb made Sokka wince; Spirits, his head was pounding. He could barely think without sending pain throughout his entire skull. He couldn't even open his eyes, for the effort was too great, and he had an inkling of doubt that light would do him much good. Sluggishly, he began to notice his body being shaken; something he decided to happily ignore. After what felt like an hour, his thoughts began to pick up speed as coherence slowly began to restore itself. _Why do I feel like this,_ he wondered. What could he have done that made him feel like this? What time was it? Where was he? As his coherence picked up, the more questions began to stir his curiosity, enough to even cause him to brave opening one eye. He waited until the throbbing had subsided to merely a migraine, then he opened an eye a crack.

Light spilled into it, sending a new wave of pain coursing through him. The Water Tribe warrior groaned and quickly shut his eye again, returning to the safe coolness of darkness. Suddenly, the shaking began again, only more fervently. "Sir! Sir! Are you okay?" Nope, wasn't going to be able to ignore this one. Sokka groaned again, if only to let whoever was calling him "sir" would know he was alive. Encouraged by the sign, the shaker doubled his efforts. It was there that Sokka drew the line; he couldn't handle much more shaking before his stomach lurched. He tried to open his mouth, only to find it so dry, he couldn't speak. _Water…so thirsty…._ He licked his lips.

"W…wa…t…." Sokka forced out. The shaking stopped and he felt the shaker leave for a few seconds. As Sokka's stomach fluids calmed down, he suddenly felt some liquid trickling down his mouth, the sweet, sweet coolness calming his throbbing head a bit; he could think just a little more coherently…at least, until he got a bucket of freezing water dumped on him. The Water Tribe warrior sputtered, and sat up, gasping. "Wh..what…the…_HELL_?" His eyes were wide open now.

There was a bewildered middle aged man staring at him, as if he had grown a second head; the bucket in his hands was all the proof Sokka needed. "You…bastard…" he tried to glare, but winced at the pain. He leaned back against the cool floor and groaned.

"I'm sorry sir, but I was afraid you wouldn't wake up." The well-dressed man-a waiter? , Sokka wondered- apologized. "Besides, you did ask for water, sir…."

"Yeah, in my _mouth_, idiot!" Sokka opened his eyes and stared the ornate chandelier hanging above him. "…where am I?"

"Sir?" This man was not helping Sokka's throbbing headache.

"I'm asking you a simple question. Where. Am. I?" The man nodded.

"Ah, yes; er…you are in the Jasmine Dragon."

"Iroh's tea shop?" The man shook his head.

"No sir; originally the Jasmine Dragon was just a tea shop, but we have expanded in the past few years. You are in one of our inns; the mother branch is still only a tea shop, but there are quite a few Jasmine Dragon Inns throughout the Earth Kingdom that have popped up as of late."

"Okay then, so which one am I in?" Spirits, it was like pulling teeth with this man…huh; oddly, the thought of punching the man's teeth seemed to help Sokka's mood. While he toyed with the mental image of the man missing a few teeth, said man was running his hand through his thinning hair.

"Well…you're in the Upper Ring of Ba Sing Se, sir. Don't you remember?" The Upper Ring? How did he wind up there?

"How long have I been here?" Sokka sat up wearily. The man shrugged.

"You and your lady friend showed up around 2 AM…it's 12:45 now." Sokka gazed around the room; it was quite larger than the bar that Sokka remembered being in, with a section roped off, filled with fancily clothed tables tossed on their sides, ripped drapes, and there were even a few dents and cracks in the marble floor…what the hell had happened?

"What the hell happened?" He asked; he couldn't quite ignore the sinking feeling that he was responsible.

"Oh yes…That was you and your lady friend; you said you were celebrating something and threw a party with some of the ruffians from the Lower Ring." The man scowled at the memory. "I hope you know that you both are going to have to pay for damages; you are lucky that we didn't even alert the Dai Lee!"

"The Dai Lee's still around? I thought they all jumped ship to Azula back when she was in power?" Where was Toph? If he was there, she had to be around there somewhere….perhaps in the largest crater in the floor? He reluctantly got to his feet, his stiff body almost creaking as he approached the hole, the waiter following closely behind.

"Of course they're still around! Without a Dai Lee, who would protect us from monsters and criminals like her?" the waiter pointed a shaking hand at the crater. "I didn't wake her because, well…" he trailed off, but Sokka got the idea.

"Because you like your organs where they are…right." The waiter nodded. "Got it. Suppose I can't blame you for thinking that…." Sokka had to admit that he wasn't exactly looking forward to being the one to wake a hungover Toph either…. "Do you guys have a long pole or stick around?" The waiter shook his head. Damn, there went the safe approach….. He tensed as he climbed down into the crater; it wasn't quite as deep as it had looked from the ground. There, in its center, lay a sleeping Toph; she was snoring a bit, and both hands were clutching drained glasses, which Sokka took to be a good omen. At least that way, she couldn't strangle him. "Toph? Hey, Toph? Buddy? You awake?" He called softly. Toph sneezed, then went straight back to snoring. Tentatively, he picked up a piece of broken marble and began to hit it against the floor beside him, hoping either the noise or the vibrations caused by the stone hitting earth would wake her.

Toph groaned a little. "Toph?" Sokka approached her, surprised it had worked so quickly. "Buddy? You okay?" He reached out lightly to give her a little shake, but the second his hand was on her shoulder, the girl lifted the drained glasses and hurled them at his head. "HOLY…!" he barely dodged, only to have the earth underneath his feet shoot up, hurling him through the air, and he landed next to the shaking waiter with a resounding thud.

"I-is it awake?" the man asked as he stared at the crater with horror.

"Oh yeah…"Sokka hissed, rubbing his lower back. "I'd hide, if I was you." The man complied the second he could see the tip of Toph's hair bun over the edge of the crater. "Good morning to you too!" The Water Tribe man scowled at the surprisingly clean earthbender.

"Right back at you, Snoozles." Toph yawned. She sat down beside him as he began to rub his lower back. "What happened to you? Constipated?" He glared at her.

"You know damn well what happened; you sent me flying through the air, that's what happened!"

"Please; as if you'd let a little thing like that hurt you. Besides, it was your decision to wake me up, not mine. I shouldn't be held liable." Sokka just grumbled as he continued to rub. "So…where are we?"

"Apparently, we are guests at the Upper Ring's Jasmine Dragon Inn-no, not the tea shop, but part of its new franchise."

"How'd we get here? Last thing I remember is you singing karaoke at that bar." Toph frowned, confused.

"I did what?"

"Yeah; you bellowed out a few verses of 'Secret Tunnel' after your fourth round…."

"I had four rounds?" His stomach lurched, and Sokka threw up a little on the marble; the man whimpered from wherever he was hiding. Even Toph grimaced a bit at the sound.

"Well, not anymore."

"Oh ha ha, real funny." Sokka wiped his mouth with his sleeve. "But seriously, you don't remember?" Toph shook her head.

"Nope; you?"

"No…." Sokka gave Toph an odd look. "Uh Toph? What's that around your neck?"

"What?"

"Your necklace! What's with that necklace?" Sokka asked, a pit of understanding beginning to form.

"Sokka, I don't wear necklaces…" she raised her hand to her throat as if to emphasize her point, only her hand clasped a thin, circular thing hanging from her neck. "What the hell?" Sokka leaned in to get a closer look: it was a black circle, filled with ornate carvings, though he couldn't quite make out the shapes, and the black material formed a thin band that continued around Toph's neck, like choker, keeping the circle suspended.

"Toph…what's that necklace made out of?" Toph focused for a second, then gasped.

"The space earth!" Sokka glanced at her arm, where she normally wore her space earth band; it was missing, confirming Sokka's growing fear.

"Oh shit, oh shit, oh shit…."

"Sokka?" Toph looked at him, confused; Sokka ignored her and called out to the waiter. "Hey mister, you said that we showed up here to celebrate something, right? What was it?" The man didn't respond.

"Answer the question, idiot; I can see you hiding behind that table over there." Toph added. Reluctantly, the man emerged from his hiding spot and approached the two.

"How may I be of service?" He asked, tense. Sokka rose to his feet and looked him straight in the eye.

"You said that we were here celebrating something. What. Was. It?" The man began to sweat. "Well?"

"You said…you said…" the man paused and took a deep breath. "You said, that you were here to celebrate your…engagement, sir." Silence followed those words; Sokka was dumbstruck and Toph just stared, shocked.

"You…you aren't lying." The waiter nodded.

"Yes, I quite clearly remember that you all showed up, saying that you, sir, had proposed to this…young woman, and she had accepted; even I, in all my ignorance, can recognize a Water Tribe betrothal necklace." He pulled a piece of paper from his pocket and handed it to the still Sokka. "Now could you please get out before I call the Dai Lee?" Numbly, Sokka nodded and the two walked towards the door. Sokka's headache hadn't improved and the sudden sunlight that hit them as they got to the street didn't help. He groaned a little, rubbing his forehead.

"Please let this be a dream…wake up, wake up, wake up…" he crooned quietly to himself. Toph meanwhile just stared at the cobble stone streets, lost in thought. Finally, she spoke up.

"Sorry." Sokka glanced down at her.

"Sorry for what?"

"None of this would have happened if I hadn't got you drunk, right?" Sokka blinked…and began to laugh. "What the hell are you doing?" Toph snapped. "I'm baring my soul here and you just laugh?"

"Toph, if you hadn't started that stupid drinking contest, I would still be in that bar, sitting on my ass in self-pity and angst-Zuko would be proud. Now," He raised the piece of paper he was holding. "I can be self-pitying for an entirely different reason. Besides, we were drunk, right? That means that the whole engagement thing doesn't mean anything, right? You can just bend the space earth back to its armband thingy form, we leave, and no one has to hear about this. I go back to Suki and you go back to kicking the crap out of mediocre earthbenders. Problem solved! Except this bill…." Toph had an odd expression on her face, but Sokka winced; his headache roared. By the time he opened his eyes, Toph was nodding slowly.

"Yeah…you're right. No one else knows; everyone else just thinks we're two crazy drunks anyway; who gives a crap what we do?" She brought her hands up to the necklace and focused. "I'll just bend this space earth…back…to…normal…." She grunted. Sokka waited for a few seconds, but nothing was happening.

"Toph?" She lowered her hands, eyes wide.

"It-it won't bend back."

"What?" He thundered. Toph was practically trembling.

"I can't bend it…. The space earth won't let me change it."

"How can that-I thought you could bend_ steel_, much less space earth; you could do it before, so why not now?"

"I don't know!" she snapped. "It's _space_ earth; maybe it stops being malleable after a few years? Who knows?" Sokka groaned and pounded his fist against the stone wall next to them. He hissed in pain as he stared at the ground, thinking. Despite his racing mind, he couldn't help but notice a flyer lying at his feet. The drawings on it looked vaguely familiar…."What are you doing?" Toph asked as he bent over to pick it up. "Sokka?"

"Shh…!" Sokka hissed. Toph scowled; if there was anything she hated, it was being treated like a child. After a few seconds, she had enough.

"Sokka, if you don't tell me what is going on, I'm going to shove a rock so far up your ass…."

"Toph…what did we do last night?" He looked at her, dismayed.

"I told you, I don't remember; it's all a big blur thing."

"Well, I just found a wanted poster…for us." Toph blinked, her impatience forgotten.

"What?" Sokka handed her the paper. "…you do remember I am _blind_, right?" He scowled and snatched the paper back.

"Right. Anyway, we're apparently the…" He squinted. "The Runaways, wanted for property damage, disruptive behavior, and doing oddly malicious things to goats…"

"…you're kidding, right? What the hell is 'malicious things to goats' even supposed to mean?"

"How am I supposed to know? Anyway, they even our portraits on it…hey! My nose does not look like that!"

"You find our wanted poster for goat torture, and you're upset over how they drew your nose?" Sokka grimaced.

"Well, no, but it's the sheer principle of the thing! As a wanted felon, I want to at least have the right to a halfway decent poster."(Known as the Sanji complex in most circles-Author note) Toph just rolled her eyes. She sighed and sat down by the entrance to a clothing store. Sokka joined her seconds later.

"So, we got drunk, can't remember a damn thing we did, are apparently publicly engaged and can't get rid of the evidence since the space earth went and screwed us over, have a bill for property damage, and are apparently wanted felons. Is that all?" Sokka thought about it for a second.

"Yeah…that pretty much sums it up." Neither spoke for a few minutes; they just stared out at the busy street, watching people just go about their lives, oblivious to anyone around them. Finally, Toph spoke.

"Well…this is officially the worst morning after I've ever had."

"Yeah, no shit." Sokka rolled his eyes. He paused as he glanced at the clothing store; suddenly, an idea struck him. "Stay here." He got up and entered the shop. After a few minutes, he came back holding a bag. "Here." He dug out a thin, woolen scarf from the bag and rested it around Toph's neck. "That should help with that." She lightly touched the fabric, as if surprised.

"You know it's July and 80 degrees out, right?"

"Hey, scarves are in right now; besides, it looks good on you, so no one should really question it much, right?" She blinked.

"Huh…I must say, I'm impressed Snoozles; maybe you aren't as dumb as that facial hair surely makes you look."

"How do you-never mind." Sokka self-consciously stroked his goatee. He then grabbed Toph's cloak, ignoring her protests, and put it on. "Hey, I need a disguise too. Oh yeah…you may want to take your hair out of that bun…it'll only make you more recognizable." While Toph reluctantly complied, Sokka continued. "Anyway, first things first, we need to get our stuff before getting the hell out of here." The two began to walk down the street, towards the large wall that loomed over the buildings in the distance.

"Hey, I'm good; I don't have anything I can't carry on me, and I didn't get a room before meeting you at the bar."

"Okay, well, I've got a room at the…the…" he gripped his forehead. "Damn hangover…I can't remember a thing."

"Are you serious?" He gave her a weary glare. "Fine, be a pussy." She stopped moving, causing Sokka to bump into someone. "We should get a carriage; it'll get us to the Lower Ring faster, and without people seeing us."

"Okay and how do you plan on doing that? We have no money, remember?" Toph didn't answer; instead, she waited. After a few minutes, a carriage drawn by an ostrich-horse came into view from around the corner. Sokka estimated that they had three minutes before it passed them. "Toph, there's a carriage down the street; now would you tell me what you're doing?"

"Just wave down the coach, Sokka; I'll take care of the rest." Sokka rolled his eyes; he hated it when other people played cryptic. He stepped out a little further into the street and began to wave his arm in the air. As the carriage got increasingly closer, it still showed no signs of slowing down. Determined, Sokka began to call to the driver as he stepped in further in the way. _He has to stop now…._ The carriage just kept coming. _…Right?_ Now Sokka felt a little doubt creeping in. "Toph!" She didn't respond. "Toph!"

"Lay on the ground!" Sokka gaped.

"Are you out of your mind? You don't lay on the ground when a freakin' ostrich-horse is coming your way." Suddenly, he felt the ground under him tremble and he slipped, and fell onto the cool cobblestones, right before the ostrich-horse was upon them. He yelped and curled into a ball, eyes squeezed shut, waiting for the inevitable crushing feet….only nothing happened. Sokka opened one tentative eye, only to see that the ostrich-horse was unmoving, and some cobblestones had lodged themselves into the carriage's wheels. _Toph must've earthbended…._ He was annoyed he hadn't thought of something so obvious. Meanwhile, Sokka noticed that Toph had walked up to the carriage door and was presently shouting at the carriage driver.

"Are you _blind_, young man?" She thundered. "Your ostrich-horse almost ran down my husband while you were just staring into space!" Sokka picked up the cue and began to groan loudly. "Honey? Are you hurt?"

"Sir? Are you okay?" Asked an alarmed carriage driver as Toph helped Sokka to his feet.

"Oh fine, fine…considering I was almost killed by the most incompetent carriage driver in Ba Sing Se!" Sokka rasped as he glared at the concerned looking young man.

"Look sir, I'm so sorry! I didn't even see you there!" he pleaded.

"I have a good mind to report you to your boss, about my near death experience at your incompetent hands; isn't that right, Sapphire?" Sokka wrapped his arm around Toph's shoulders. She nodded in firm agreement.

"Yes, I do believe we should. Come on, dear; let me help you limp home…" They turned and began to walk away from the carriage. The driver blinked in disbelief; Sokka and Toph ignored him and kept going.

"So, how much trouble do you think that incompetent jackass is going to get in?" Sokka asked, just loud enough for everyone across the street could hear. That seemed to cinch it for the young driver, because he quickly called after them.

"Wait! Wait…" They stopped and turned to the sweating driver. "D-do you guys need a ride anywhere?" Toph and Sokka smirked. _Bingo._

"We don't want anything you have to offer!" Sokka snarled. Toph reached up and placed a comforting hand on his shoulder.

"But, honey; with your injury, it will take us hours to make it back to the Lower Ring…why don't we let the man give us a free ride?" She looked at the driver. "It would be free, right?" The driver reluctantly nodded. "See?" Sokka paused, as if thinking it over, then groaned.

"I'll be shocked if he doesn't kill us in the process…." They began to hobble back to the carriage.

"Not to worry sir! I haven't had an accident yet!" Sokka gestured to his leg. "Er, in mid-ride…!" Sokka rolled his eyes and, with Toph's aid, climbed up into the carriage. "Sir, are you sure you don't need some more help…?"

"Keep your hands away from me!" The driver recoiled.

"Yes sir!" Toph climbed up and paused.

"Ignore him; just take us to the Drunken Lemur in the Lower Ring, please." The driver nodded and began to get the ostrich-horse ready to go. Meanwhile, Sokka reached across Toph and closed the carriage door. After a few seconds, they felt the carriage jerk, and it began to move. Outside of the faint creak of the wheels against the cobblestones below, silence filled the carriage. Sokka glanced at Toph, who stared in his direction…and began to howl with laughter.

...

The trip took a long time, most of it being spent in silence. Toph just sat there, arms crossed, gently twirling one of her bangs around her finger, while Sokka stared out the window. The streets were filled with traces of damage; whether it is a small hole in the ground, a broken shop door, a street lamp that had been set on fire, and a misspelled swear word was painted on some of the walls. Sokka couldn't help but feel a pit in his stomach; chances are, he and Toph may have had something to do with it. This suspicion was only increased by how often he saw their wanted poster posted, and every one of them had Sokka with a different nose. "Now they're just being mean…." He muttered.

"What?" Toph looked up. Sokka jumped.

"Er, nothing! Nothing…." She rolled her eyes.

"Let me guess: you're still obsessed over that nose thing, aren't you?" Sokka gaped.

"How the hell do you _do_ that? Can you read minds or something?"

"Nope, you're just stupid." She shrugged. Sokka stuck his tongue out at her and went back to staring out the window. "So, were you staying at that bar you drank at?"

"I think so; I don't remember leaving much in the three days I was there…."

"Did you even bring anything with you?"

"Oh, I have stuff! I have lots of stuff! Cool stuff." He snapped. "Like my bag…"

"You mean your purse that matches my belt?"

"….No, of course not…." He paused. "Anyway, there was that, a change of clothes or two, and my sword."

"You got a new sword?"

"Yeah, well, even if the war is over, you can't be too careful. So I bought one as soon as I could." His expression fell. "Damn, I miss my old one…not to mention Boomerang…" He sniffed loudly. Toph knew how much those weapons had meant to the Water Tribe warrior; after all, Boomerang had been a gift from his dad, before he went off to fight in the war, and his space sword he had forged himself from a fallen meteorite they had found. She decided to respect his grief and went back to picking stuff out from between her toes. Sokka just rolled his eyes and turned his sad gaze out the window. "Oh, we're here." He leaned over to Toph. "Ready, 'Sapphire'?" She wrapped her hand around his.

"Of course, Wang Fire…" She snorted. "I still can't believe you came up with that disguise when we were in the Fire Nation; could you have picked a dumber name?" Sokka recoiled.

"What? It was ingenious! I fooled everyone with that fake beard and the deep voice, even the Fire Nation army."

"That you joined as a recon mission, only to get stuck on latrine duty and had to fake your own death to get out. But seriously, 'Wang'? That just sounds wrong."

"What's wrong with 'Wang'? What do you have against Wangs, anyway?" Toph punched him in the arm.

"Just shut up, will you? Do you have any idea what you're saying?" Sokka didn't reply; instead, he rubbed his now bruised arm fervently. "Now come on, let's get in there." She paused. "Could you open the door, 'honey'?" Sokka just grumbled while he reached over and undid the latch. Sokka got up, stepped over Toph while she slid to his seat, and got out.

"Oh my leg! It is in such pain…" He glared at the driver. "You're lucky that the ride kept things from getting worse; I still have half a mind to complain." He reached up to help Toph get down.

"Er, sir?" The driver gave him an odd look, then shook his head. "Anyway, here you are, sir." Once Toph had reached the cobblestones safely, he whipped the reins and the carriage departed. Sokka looked on as the carriage continued onwards. Then he glanced to the wall behind him.

"Shit." He muttered, and grabbed Toph's arm. "Come on; we need to go."

"Why the sudden urgency?"

"Because, I was stupid and helped you down, despite my 'wounded leg', and to top it off, there was a fucking copy of our wanted poster right above our heads; chances are, he's going to report to the Dai Lee as soon as he can." Sokka hissed while they entered the bar; the place was better lit than Sokka remembered, though there weren't that many patrons. The bartender glanced up at the sound of the door opening, but the second he saw who they were, his face fell.

"Oh, it's you two…." He scowled. "I hoped you had left town."

"Is that the way you usually greet customers?" Sokka returned his scowl.

"No, just you. So what brings you crawling back here anyway? Want some more of the 'water downed piss'?"

"No; with the hangover I have right now, the last thing I need is more alcohol. Anyway, I have a room here; I just came to get my stuff. The rooms are upstairs, right?" The bartender looked a little happier at the thought of Sokka leaving.

"Yes; just go up the stairs over there." He gestured to the staircase over by the stage on the other side of the room. "Don't let me keep you; get your shit and get out. Like in the next hour would be great." Sokka stuck his tongue at the bartender as he and Toph made their way across the room.

"Nice guy." Toph commented as they walked up the wooden stairs.

"Well, I suppose I kinda deserved it…" he mumbled.

"Oh, I know you did, but still; that was hardly decent customer service. Now, hurry up and get your stuff." They were now staring down a hallway lined with numbered doors. Sokka began slowly walking, glancing from door to door while he held Toph's hand to guide her; she still, no matter her skill, couldn't use her earthbending to see while on wood. He paused outside room number 15.

"Er…this _might_ be it…." He began to check his pockets for a key. Toph sighed, exasperated.

"For the love of…did you seriously lose the motel key?"

"Maybe?" Toph didn't say another word. Instead she walked up to the wall, groped around until she felt the door frame, and proceeded to kick the door down. Sokka could only stare as a loud crack resounded throughout the hall, while the door just caved in on itself. Toph just turned to Sokka and mimed opening the door.

"Ladies first."

"We are so screwed, after this." He stepped over the shattered pieces of the door and entered the dark room. Toph followed him.

"Yeah, hence the 'get the hell out of town before anyone finds us' plan." The room was tiny and simple, with a small window, a stool, and a rather beat up looking mattress. Some sunlight managed to get through the dirty window and illuminate the room enough in order for Sokka to navigate the room. He glanced at the stool and under the bed; finally he just lifted the mattress and, after shrieking as some insects fled their dark sanctuary, groped around until he found his bag.

"Found it! Now let's get out of here."

"Took you long enough. Geez, I doubt there were that many places to hide it." Sokka gave his bag a quick scan to check if everything was there while they walked, and nodded. He pulled out his room key from the bag and, once they had returned downstairs, set it on the counter for the bartender. He glanced at them skeptically.

"I thought I heard a crack up there. Did something break?" Neither one answered; they just stared at the bartender until he groaned. "Great; even checking out, you have to cost me money. What did you do, lock your key in your room? How the hell did you manage that? Just when I think that things are idiot-proof, someone has to go and prove me wrong." He sighed and took the key. He looked tempted to speak, but stopped himself. Sokka and Toph shrugged and began to head out after a few minutes. Right before they walked out the entrance, the bartender said. "By the way, some guys were looking for you; they literally walked in the second you guys went to Idiot-boy's room. I didn't tell them a thing." The "even though I really wanted to" part went unspoken. Sokka tossed a coin to the bartender.

"Do you know who they are?" The bartender shrugged and went to wiping a clean glass with a dirty rag. Sokka could sense they were finished and exited the building. Toph was waiting for him out on the side of the road. Once he reached her, they began to walk, blending in to the crowd. "Apparently, we got people looking for us."

"So you were right; the carriage guy must've ratted us out."

"Yeah, guess so…or," he gestured to the wall. "It could have been any one of these beautiful, if somewhat less than accurate posters that did it."

"Would it kill you to let the nose thing go?" she reached up and grabbed his nose and twisted it a bit. He yipped and pushed her hand away. "There, now they match."

"I hate you…" He muttered as he pulled out a knife from his bag and ducked a little into the alley next door. After a minute, Toph's curiosity outweighed her desire not to know.

"What are you doing?"

"I'm shaving the goatee." Sokka forced out. Toph mock gasped.

"Not what must be hideous facial hair! Let us get arrested before you shave the face fuzz!" Sokka glared at her while he exited the alley.

"Oh ha ha; I'll have you know it made me look very refined. And knowledgeable. Not that you'd know what either of those look like…." He deflated; his retorts worked better on seeing people. At least then he could insult them without feeling a bit like an ass. Toph was about to retort when she stiffened. Sokka noticed and began to casually reach into his cloak. "What's up?"

"I think we have company." She glanced over her shoulder at the street and the narrowed her eyes. "There's been six guys following us since we left the bar."

"Right…." Sokka glanced around; the street was practically vacant, which alone was a sign that not all was well. It was practically three o'clock in one of the biggest cities in the world; there was always a crowd, no matter where you went. Unless, of course, someone wanted to "talk" to Sokka and Toph and had encouraged potential witnesses to take the long way around. "So, where are they?" Suddenly, they both heard some scrapping from above. They looked up just in time to see several people leap from the roof tops down into the alley. At the same time, Toph felt the earth shift as people sprang up from behind them. Just like that, they were trapped in the alley. There were even people above them wielding bows and arrows, trained on them.

"You had to ask." She sighed as she shifted her stance; Sokka could tell that she would be ready to attack at a moment's notice.

"Don't attack; let's just see what these kind people want with us." He said loud enough for everyone to hear. "This is quite a surprise; nobody told us that Ba Sing Se had such a dedicated welcoming committee!" He clapped. "It's nice to see that at least one place in the Earth Kingdom likes tourists."

"Shut up." A tall, scarred man approached Sokka, as the men before them parted to let him through; there was definitely an air of command around this man. Sokka's muscles tensed just a little. "Who are you?"

"Er, us? Well, if you're the welcome party, shouldn't you know already?" The man scowled and drew himself up to his full height, which appeared to be a full foot above Sokka. "O-or not; that's fine. Easy mistake, quite understandable. Anyway, I'm Wang Fire, this is my fiancé, Sapphire." He gestured to Toph, trying to ignore the men's snickers. "We just came to Ba Sing Se to celebrate our engagement. After all, her father was so pleased with the news that someone would take this little hellion off his hands." Sokka wrapped an arm around Toph's shoulders. "Relax and look like we're in love." He hissed out of the corner of his mouth. Toph was silent for a few seconds; Sokka knew that she much rather would have fought them all. Fortunately, he also knew that she would at least let him try to talk their way out of this. "So what can we do you for?"

"Last night, two people roughed up half of my crew that worked in the Pleasure District, and stole our money. Then I heard a funny story: these two people just 'happened' to use a large amount of gold they 'just happened to find lying around' to throw a party at the Jasmine Dragon for their…what was the word? Oh yes, 'engagement', as stupid as that is….sound familiar?" Sokka began to wish he had used a different cover story; Toph agreed and stamped on his toe. The Water Tribe warrior just blinked away a tear. The man drew a knife. "I don't let anyone, _anyone_, fuck with my crew, much less my money. Understand?"

"Bu-but sir, what makes you think it was us? We only just arrived here this morning; just ask the bartender!" _Wow, could this guy be any more cliché? He's practically reading word from word of the criminal rulebook…why do we get all the posers_, Sokka thought, annoyed.

"Bullshit. We saw the posters; we're not stupid. Now, we're going to get our money back…one finger at a time." The rest of the men surrounding them drew their weapons as one. Sokka counted; there were about fifteen of them…it was almost sad really. He pulled a thick-bladed knife from his cloak. The others smirked; they thought he was easy pickings….wonderful; granted, he was used to being underestimated, but still.

"Sapphire, I suppose we may want to show these kind gentlemen that they are quite mistaken…." Toph smirked as she raised her arms.

"Finally!" Before they could react, she snapped her arms towards the ground and the earth around them shot up, sending the men flying through the air. The leader jumped away and called for the archers to fire; just before any of the arrows could hit, earth surged and formed a ceiling above them. The sounds of thuds as the arrows and the minions fell against the new ceiling filled the alley.

"Dammit!" The leader charged towards Toph, knife drawn. Sokka cut him off, as he redirected the man into the wall with ease. The leader scowled and began to charge again, but Sokka used his knife and, with a quick movement, met the attack. Sokka looked a tad surprised at the force the other man had. Encouraged by this, the man quickly kicked Sokka in the gut, sending him back a few paces. Toph turned to intervene but Sokka waved her off.

"I-I got…him…"he panted. "Give me…more…credit than that…." He brought his knife forward and hit a switch with his palm. The knife began to thin out as the blade folded out, becoming a short sword. The leader watched, taken back; he had never seen a sword quite like it. "Told you I got a new sword." Sokka smirked at Toph. "Still think you stand a chance, mister?" The leader shook his head to clear it and charged again, knife brought up to receive the sword; however, Sokka just stepped aside, grabbed the man's blade hand firmly and pulled it behind the man as he went by, his own momentum caused the arm to pull out of joint. The man howled in pain and glared at Sokka, his one arm dangling freely, the other gripping his shoulder. "Hey don't glare at me like it's my fault; I never said I would use the sword. You just kinda…assumed. So really, that was all your fault." The man lunged at Sokka, his one good hand lunging towards his throat. Sokka raised his sword and smacked the hand away with the back of the blade and raised his open palm against the man's nose, as the larger man's momentum caused it to crack. He collapsed to the ground due to the pain. Sokka turned to Toph. "I think we're all done here; feel free to wrap him up." The man sunk into the street, until only his head was above the ground. "You all done?"

"Like five minutes ago; you're slow Snoozles." Toph rolled her eyes. It appeared to be true; most of the minions were struggling to dig themselves out of the earth, swearing. "I think we may want to leave these wannabes here; the Dai Lee would probably want 'em." Sokka nodded.

"Sounds good; anyway, we should probably try going the other way…you know, so we don't get pumped full of arrows?" Toph shrugged and, with a quick jab, forced a hole out of the earth. As they approached the tunnel, the buried leader spat.

"You think this is over? I have a fucking army at my disposal; you won't be able to stay in this town again! Do you hear me, Wang Fire?" Sokka blinked.

"Ah yes, I think I read you loud and clear. I guess…I'll let you go; you seem a bit buried at moment." He snickered, but Toph just groaned and jumped down the hole. "Huh…what a jerk; come on, that was totally funny, right?" The leader glared at Sokka and began to struggle even harder to claw his way out of the dirt. "There's no just pleasing some people." Sokka sighed and followed Toph down the tunnel.

...


	3. Chapter 3

...

Iroh smiled as he was just about to officially open the Jasmine Dragon tea shop for the evening: the birds were singing, it looked like it would be beautiful night, the Pai Sho tables were prepped for games, and the tea was brewing marvelously. The young attendants he had hired recently were out and about sweeping the stone floor and polishing the counters; his large, decorated tea shop was becoming spotless before his very eyes. He sniffed, breathing in the slight scent of jasmine tea, and released, feeling more relaxed than he had in years. If only his nephew Zuko could see him now….

Suddenly, two cloaked individuals entered the shop. Apparently they hadn't noticed the closed sign, but, Iroh shrugged, what the heck? It was close enough to opening; besides, if their worn out and dirty cloaks were any indication, they were in desperate need of a stiff cup of relaxing tea. He approached the two. "Hello, how may I help you, kind sirs?"

"Iroh?" Sokka and Toph took off their hoods. Iroh's eyes widened with surprise.

"My young friends! It's been awhile." He hugged them. "What are you doing in Ba Sing Se?" Sokka held up a wanted poster with their faces on it, and Toph pulled down her scarf, showing the betrothal necklace underneath.

"We're….kinda in some trouble…." Iroh blinked, the hope for a peaceful evening dissipating slowly but surely. He nodded and gestured for the bus boys to stop.

"Men, you've been working hard lately; take the day off, I can take care of the shop for one night, despite my age." Two of the four employees nodded while the other two were trying to look somber and within two minutes, they had the shop to themselves. Iroh gestured to the table. "Take a seat while I get some tea ready." Sokka and Toph sat down and Sokka glanced around the room; apparently, business had been doing well since he was last here, if the new décor was an indication. Everything seemed a bit…fancier; sophisticated. He felt a little out of place. Seconds later, Iroh returned from behind the counter, carrying a tray with three cups and a large pot. "So, what happened?" The old man asked while he poured the tea. Sokka and Toph shot each other a look.

"We don't really remember…." Sokka answered.

"What do you mean?" Iroh sighed; this was probably going to be complicated…. Sokka began to tell the story, of how he had been drinking in a bar-though he didn't mention the trouble with Suki-, met Toph, began to party, woke up not remembering a thing, and all the problems they've had since. Iroh said nothing, just watching as the tale was told, with occasional debates over details between Sokka and Toph. Finally, as they squabbled over whether or not the gangster they beat up was in fact eight feet tall and a body builder, Iroh grunted to bring them back on track. Sokka misinterpreted the look on the old man's breaded face.

"Okay Iroh, look; we messed up, we know. But come on, you have to have partied like that once when you were young, right?" Iroh said nothing.

_"Hey Iroh! What the hell are you doing? Put down that drink, you've already had like ten! No, no…don't you dare jump on that chandelier!" A loud crash was barely heard over the pounding music. "And don't you dare jump on that subsequent chandelier! Iroh! Keep your shirt ON! ON…! I'm telling your girlfriend! No, I don't want a drink!...well, maybe just one more…."_

Iroh shivered at the memory and took a swift drink of tea. "No, I cannot say I have…., but what has happened, has happened. The most we can do now is sort out all that has transpired…." He paused. "So, when you woke up this morning, you say you found that you both were engaged last night?" Toph nodded. "That is quite odd….traditionally, rash romantic decisions are normal for drunken behavior, but Sokka, are you not in a relationship?"

"Iroh, I told you, I was drunk! And…"He paused , only to sigh and reluctantly continue. "And well, things haven't been completely…okay between Suki and me lately…" He saw Iroh's inquisitive look and explained. "We got into an argument and I freaked out and left...but I haven't talked to her since. I know, I know, it's not right and I'll work on fixing it as soon as I can, but right now, we need to figure out how to get out of this." He gestured to the space earth necklace around Toph's neck. "We thought we could just pretend that it didn't happen, but because the space earth is stuck, the minute Katara, Aang, or Suki or hell, anybody who's even heard of the Water Tribe, will know Toph's engaged to someone and it won't be long until Toph's parents find out, and there's a whole other mess that we have to deal with…." Sokka fell silent and stared into his tea. Iron turned his gaze to Toph.

"Is that accurate?" She nodded. "So this 'space earth', as you call it; you say you can't bend it, even though you used to be able to?"

"No! I've tried, but I can't get the thing to move at all anymore! We didn't know much about it when we took it…maybe it stops being bendable after a while? I don't know…" Iroh said nothing but he continued gazing at Toph, stroking his beard. They all fell silent. Finally, Iroh chuckled. "What?" Toph demanded, flustered.

"You two…ah, to be young again! This is quite the scrap you've gotten yourselves in." He laughed.

Sokka and Toph glanced at each other. "Um, Iroh? This isn't really something to laugh at…." Iroh nodded, but continued to smile.

"Of course, of course…however, in regards to the damages you have caused, I would be tempted to say that you should turn yourselves in, as it would be the right thing to do." Sokka and Toph swallowed a little; no matter the kind man's advice, turning themselves in was the last thing they were going to do. "However, the odds of you doing that are quite low, I admit, and perhaps there is some justice there…but not much." He gave them a stern look. "If you damage something, you have to pay proper reparations. Yes, yes, I'm aware being arrested is the last thing you want, and I would hardly enjoy seeing you behind bars, don't get me wrong! If you were to pay for the damages yourselves and formally apologize to the Earth King, that should suffice." Sokka turned to Toph.

"I hope your parents are willing to make a donation."

"What? What about you, Mr. 'Prince of the Southern Water Tribe'?"

"Are you kidding? We don't have shit down there, much less money! It's a bunch of buildings surrounded by snow and ice!"

"Ha! So you do admit it." Iroh coughed pointedly, bringing the two back to the discussion at hand. "Anyway, what do you think we should do about this gang? Kick their asses?" Toph smirked a little. "If that was their leader, then the rest should be easy pickings; hardly worth worrying over." Iroh thought for a bit.

"As nice a service as defeating those people would be, you should not seek violence; it would only make the situation worse. First you should apologize to the Earth King, and seek his blessing to defeat them and, more importantly, let him pay for the damages that will inevitably follow." Sokka blinked.

"That seems oddly devious coming from you, Iroh."

"That is merely my suggestion as to resolve both the problems; however, before you get the money to pay and apologize with, I would say that you should probably leave the city, if only to stop things from getting worse." Iroh slid a piece of paper towards them. "Fortunately for you, the young Avatar wrote to me and said he would be coming for a visit, since he was in the area; he should get here later today."

Sokka fist pumped. "Yes! That was a lucky coincidence!" Iroh nodded gravely.

"Indeed, but it is up to him to decide if he wants to help you two evade justice." Sokka's hopes slumped.

"Yeah…Twinkle Toes does have a stronger sense of justice than that…." Toph sighed.

"However, I believe that the young waterbender will be with him, Katara?" Sokka's ears perked up at that.

"So there's some hope, at least…the likelihood of Katara leaving me to the Unagi is sort of low…I think." Sokka paused. "Well, I guess there's that at least. However, we still have to figure out what to do about the necklace. I mean, we can't even cut the thing off since it's space earth, which can cut through metal, if my sword was any indication."

"About that…I feel that there is no helping the necklace. However, so long as you two are completely honest to your loved ones, I believe that they should understand, and perhaps the removal of the necklace will be solved afterwards." He gave them a stern look. "The key, however, is honesty." Sokka nodded skeptically.

"Okay, I guess…."

"Just have faith, my young friend, and all will work out the way it should." He smiled. "Now then, Sokka, if you would be so kind as to take this pot for a refill? There should be more tea brewing in the back." Sokka obediently got up and grabbed the tray. "Careful, it's going to be hot." The Water Tribe warrior scoffed at the warning and left the room. Iroh and Toph sat in silence for a few seconds, until Iroh asked, "So, young Toph, how have you been lately?"

"Until now? Okay, I guess." Iroh chuckled.

"You're a bad liar for someone who claims to be a human lie detector." Toph stiffened; Iroh always seemed to have a way to seeing through pretense, and three years seemed to have done nothing to change that. "Now tell me honestly; I heard after the War, you tried to teach metalbending to regular earthbenders; hardly an easy feat, considering the difficulty involved."

"So it hasn't been easy, so what? Just because I'm frustrated over how bad the others suck doesn't mean I'm not fine." Iroh gave her an almost pitying glance.

"Oh I think you are frustrated by more than just mere inability, young one. There is much on your mind; after the war, where would you go? Back home where your loving parents kept you trapped for your own safety?"

"I'll have you know I'm on perfectly good terms with my parents now; I reconciled with them years ago."

"If that is the case, then why are you wandering the land in such a manner? No, I don't doubt the reconciliation, if that's what you think!" He hastily added after Toph glared at him. "I just think that, now that the War is over, there would be no reason for you to travel, correct? Once you return home, it is possible you may not leave again for years...is that it? Alas, it is hardly my place to pry into others family matters, but I will tell you that so long as you avoid them, the worse things are going to get. But that is a matter for another time." There was a sudden yelp from the back as Sokka burned himself on the fresh brewed tea. Iroh rested his elbows on the table and leaned towards Toph.

"Listen…I think, no matter what you say, you never completely moved on from the old days, and an important lesson about alcohol: it doesn't just cause head pain in the morning; it removes your inhibitions completely. Do you understand? All your feelings and desires, blocked behind the wall of your restraint and will, let loose, hence why rash romance and destruction are normal for drunken endeavors." Toph paled a little at the thought of her secrets on display. "I can only trust that you will be completely honest with Sokka and the others, and more importantly…yourself." As if summoned by his name, Sokka walked back in the room, carrying the tray while cursing under his breath.

"Damn tea…" He set the tray on the table and threw himself back into his chair, while nursing his burnt hand. "Anyway, there you go. Now then, where do we go from here?"

"Well, I would say you can stay here until the Avatar arrives in an hour or so….however, it would appear the Dai Lee is approaching my shop, and unfortunately, I doubt it's for my tea." Iroh pointed over Sokka and Toph at the silent posse of subdued Dai Lee agents walking towards the shop. Sokka grabbed Toph's hand and yanked her out of her chair as he began to run to the back room. "There isn't an exit back there!"

"Toph'll make one!" Iroh grimaced a little at the thought of his shop being damaged. "Thanks for the help!" A soft crack came from the back room, followed by a low rumbling noise. At least they were nice enough to seal up the hole they made in his wall. The former Fire Nation general then turned to face the cloaked Dai Lee agent in front of him. With a long, loose sleeved robe covering his stone hands, it was hard to believe that the hat wearing man before him was much of a warrior; a creepy noble, perhaps, but a peace keeper in one of the largest cities in the world? Hardly. But if there was anything Iroh had learned in his long experience, it was that looks could be deceiving.

"What can I do for you, gentleman? You're just in time; I just brought out a fresh pot of Jasmine…."

...

"Okay, so we just have to survive on the streets for another hour…how hard could it be?" Sokka asked as he and Toph tried to blend in with the crowd. "I mean, we only have to worry about the Dai Lee, citizen's arrest, and the walking cliché criminal's gang; what could go wrong?"

"Wow, when you put it like that…" Toph rolled her eyes. "Why not just say 'nothing else could possibly go wrong', 'it has to be dead', or 'things can't get much worse' while you're trying to doom us?"

Sokka began to retort, but decided it wasn't worth the energy. Instead, he began gazing lazily at the buildings around them. Thrift store, clothing store, clothing store, another clothing store, the spinoff of that other clothing store that got boycotted and shut down, and there were a few food stands scattered in between. The signs and promoting flags looked worn, as did the street and buildings themselves; it appeared that he and Toph had wandered into the older section of the Upper Ring; the several dozen condemned buildings only cemented the theory. The architecture was still notably Asian though; it appeared that some things never went out of fashion, even a hundred years ago. Finally, he saw something that gave him pause.

It was on the roof top of the building on their side of the street; he narrowed his eyes, trying to get a better look, but the sun made it difficult to see. Squinting, he raised a hand to block some of the light. "What the hell? Is that a guy up there?" So it seemed; from what he could tell, there seemed to be a tall, narrow blobish thing on the roof of "Granny's Closet: the store for all your 'bedroom' needs." Suddenly, several more blobs popped up next to the first one; realization began to dawn in Sokka's mind. "Oh crap." He quickly glanced around at the other rooftops on the street and sure enough, there were five or six guys on each one. Slumping, he muttered to Toph. "Toph, we're surrounded by archers."

"How'd they find us?" She hissed as Sokka began to guide her slowly towards one of the shops.

"Hell if I know; but we're almost to some cover…." Suddenly, there was a faint rushing sound and an arrow lodged itself into the street next to Sokka's foot. "Son of a…!" He grabbed Toph's hand and jumped to the side, just barely dodging four arrows. "Come on!" He sprinted, Toph in tow, weaving along the left side of the street; at least that way, he figured, they would only have to worry about the archers across the street, versus running into the center, a place Sokka was affectionally deeming "the kill box" from that moment on. The pedestrians around them began to panic once the first arrows fell and were running inside the shops, making Sokka and Toph's camouflage all the more scarce by the second. Granted, since the archer had fired right at them to begin with, Sokka figured that even having others to blend in with wouldn't help them. More arrows were flying, now that there were less people about; fortunately, it was a bit windy that day and that seemed to be throwing off their aim. Sokka leapt to the right as two arrows nearly impaled his feet. Or their aim was just fine, it appeared. "Toph, think you can cover us?" He hissed.

"If you're willing to stop dragging me for a few seconds sure. Think we can chance it?" Sokka ducked.

"Hold on!" He spotted an alley coming up and he feinted right, and then threw himself in, Toph a mere second behind. "Now! NOW!" She hurriedly gestured and a thick sphere of earth rapidly began to form around them. It wasn't quick enough, as several arrows swiftly flew in, just missing them by centimeters. At least the earth had obscured the archers' view enough to stop them from getting a clean shot. After a few seconds, the sphere was complete and they had a little breathing time. "Toph, we need to get a tunnel again." She nodded and was just about to do start, when a sudden impact rattled the entire sphere, knocking them to the ground as a loud, heated roar filled their ears. "Shit…they have explosives; at least they're quick learners." Sokka coughed as he forced himself to his feet; the dome had been cracked and was about to fall to pieces. Fortunately, at the end of the alley was an entrance to one building; at least they could hide out there.

"Come on!" He picked Toph up and began to sprint, while the dome covered them from arrow fire. After a mad dash, he hurled himself inside the doorway, just as another explosive was dropped into the alley. He dropped Toph onto the stone floor and slammed the wooden door shut and locked it for good measure. He backed away, panting. "That…should buy…us…some time…" Toph brushed herself off. "At least we're not hurt."

"Speak for yourself; at least you weren't tossed around like a bag of potatoes or something." Toph coughed.

"Is that anyway to thank the man who saved your ass?"

"Hardly; my ass is the most injured part of me. You really know how to show a girl a good time, you know that?" She paused and even flushed a little, realizing what she just said. Sokka winced.

"You know, I liked you better before you hit puberty; at least then you didn't have your mind in the gutter." He groaned. Ignoring Toph's protest, he glanced around at their surroundings. It appeared they were in a large, almost warehouse like room, with tables scattered all throughout. There were torches, some lit, along the stone walls and, if the blaze was any indication, they were practically brand new. Along on the far wall were several large boarded up windows and two large stone stair cases, one to go up and the other descending into what seemed to be a basement of some kind.

Toph's protests of "she didn't mean it that way" quieted and Sokka looked over at after wandering further into the room. It was hard to make out her facial expression in the poor lighting, but he knew it wasn't good. "Oh what now?"

"We need to get out of here. Now."

"Well, okay, but only if you make us a tunnel so we can get out underneath the street; I don't want to wind up as a human pincushion!" The attempt at humor sounded lame, even to his ears. Toph immediately began trying to build a tunnel, but outside of some stone movement, nothing happened.

Toph swore. "What's wrong?" Sokka hurried over.

"Wood."

"Wood?" He blinked and glanced down at the small hole she had begun; there was indeed a wooden layer right underneath the stone. "Oh…right; you can't manipulate that. Well, can't you just go all 'girl SMASH' on it with all this stone? What's with the hurry?"

"Not enough time!" She began to form a wall blocking the stairs to the basement, but a sudden explosion destroyed it. Over the rumble, stepped the leader, his face bandaged, but there was enough visible to make out his smirk. Sokka just placed himself between Toph and the oncoming man.

"Oh…that guy. Wonderful. Couldn't be happier." He drew his sword and glared at him. "Hey man, long time no see. You look different somehow…did you get a nose job?" The leader's smirk fell a little; apparently, he had pictured this going differently, probably with a little more fear and a little less sarcasm.

"You let my men lead you straight into my headquarters…and you ask if I've had a nose job?" He was almost dumbstruck; had the situation been different, Sokka would have laughed.

"Nose job, haircut, a vasectomy….something; you must have had that healer on 3rd Street do something to you, you look so…different..." Sokka glanced over at the staircase going up, or one of the boarded up windows. Out of the corner of his eye, he thought he saw something. "Toph, I'm going to need a smoke screen….Now!" he whispered. Fortunately for them, the criminals didn't appear to dust very often, so Toph had plenty to work with as she sent all the dust particles flying into the air, and rushed to the leader and the crowd of henchmen that were beginning to come up after him. Sokka dashed over to their immediate right and tried pushing on a dusty door; unfortunately, it seemed locked. Without hesitation, he cut out the knob with his sword and punched it out; he grabbed the new opening and yanked the door open, and quickly pulled Toph after him. With a gesture, she blocked it off with a stone wall; unfortunately, she had to use some of the stairs to do it, so Sokka had to jump over a few gaps, until he had reached the second floor. Quickly, he pulled Toph up inside with him and slammed the door shut after her.

They paused, to catch their breath. The room they wound up was about the size of a normal bedroom, but it didn't have any furniture in it; there was only a door to their left and several more boarded up windows along the wall. However, there was sunlight leaking through several of the sizable holes in the wood. Suddenly, they heard a voice calling from the street. "What the….?" Sokka and Toph cautiously approached a window and leaned against it, listening.

"Hello, this is the Dai Lee. We are aware that you are harboring two fugitives and we are giving you two minutes to send them out, or we will have to resort to force."

Sokka groaned. "Okay…I think we can say that we've officially lost control over this situation…."

"Yeah, we're pretty much screwed. How the hell did they find us?"

"Oh I don't know, it could have been all those arrows shot into a crowded street and maybe, just maybe, the two fucking grenades they dropped!"

"Okay, okay! Geez…. I'm surprised the Dai Lee went and announced themselves like that…"

"Maybe the Earth King made them stop being so...sneaky and cloak and daggery? After that coup attempt during the war and all…" A sudden shock reverberated throughout the building.

"…three, two…one. The two minute warning has passed and you have refused to cooperate; we have no choice but to force entry." There were more rumbles as the Dai Lee smashed the walls in. Suddenly, on the floor below them, the sounds of conflict broke out.

"I'm guessing the Dai Lee just met our friends downstairs." Sokka sighed as he rested his back against the wall. Toph slumped down beside him.

"Yeah…just as well; that wasn't even two minutes. With any luck, the idiots will take each other out and we'll slip out in the confusion." The sounds of arrows being fired outside brought them back down to earth.

"Shit…"Sokka gently hit his head against the back wall. "It's been more than an hour since we left Iroh's…Aang's probably already there." Toph looked at the sullen Water Tribe warrior.

"Hey, it'll work out…if there's anyone we can count on, it's Twinkle Toes. And besides, your sister would probably tear the Dai Lee and these gangster wannabes to pieces to save your sorry ass." Sokka returned her gaze and felt something: a small pit suddenly stirring in his gut that he couldn't quite put his finger on. He shook his head and tried to ignore it.

"Toph….it's been fun, despite this…mess," he gestured underneath them, where the battle was taking place. "And even if we get hauled off and arrested, this has been the most fun I've had since our adventures before the War ended..." He grinned, even if Toph couldn't see it. "Out of all the people I could've run into at that bar, I'm glad it was you." He punched her lightly on the shoulder; Toph just stared incredulous. She didn't know how to react to that; she couldn't even control the faint blush crossing her face or the old pang in her stomach begin to stir again. Damn subconscious…, she cursed. Never a hint of weakness…and yet she couldn't get herself to truly get upset by the reaction. Perhaps she wasn't quite the tomboy she had been three years ago, or perhaps she just wasn't as afraid of her own feelings as she had been….

"Yeah…right back at ya." She mentally scowled; that sounded so stupid. She must be falling to pieces. Before Sokka could respond and point out the lame comeback, the door they had come up from was kicked down. "Shit!" Toph blamed herself; because she had been too distracted, she had let some of enemy to sneak up on them. There were two members of the Dai Lee standing before them.

"Hey, we found the fugi-!" One of them began to call out, only to have Toph sink his feet into the stone floor and for Sokka to leap up and smack him across the head with the hilt of his sword. The other Dai Lee leapt away from them and shot two stone fists at Sokka, who ducked and pulled the other Dai Lee in the way. The knocked out Dai Lee was sent flying to the floor by the blows, while the conscious one didn't hesitate; he sent an earth wave towards Toph, who blocked it with ease; she sent it flying back at him. Taken off guard, the Dai Lee agent leapt to the side, only for Sokka to slash at him; the agent ducked, and Sokka only cut the large circular hat that seemed to be standard for all Dai Lee. Now hatless, the Dai Lee tried to sink Sokka, but Toph got the agent first; she caused a pillar to fly up underneath and it slammed into his torso, knocking the air from his lungs, and with another swift gesture, she sent him reeling down the stair case again, back to the first floor. They could hear him groaning and the cries of his fellows as they noticed the fallen agent. Without a word, Sokka and Toph raced to the door and opened it.

They wound up in a vacant hall, but they could hear the sounds of people rushing up the stairs behind them. Toph tried to block it off, but Sokka just grabbed her arm and dragged her to the end of the hall, where another stair case led even further up. They just barely ran up the stairs when the Dai Lee's stone fists thundered against them, sending chips of stone flying. Sokka didn't stop to wait for them or to even fight; instead, he just kept going up. Two floors, three floors, four floors….he could feel his lungs burning and his mouth had gone dry. He needed water, and the sweat dripping down his face wasn't doing anything to help; he tried to blink it away, but only got some of it in his eye. Finally, as he was charging up what had to be the seventh stair case, Sokka saw a wooden door at the top of the flight. Without missing a step, he grabbed the handle and threw it open, Toph close behind him. A sudden gust of wind almost knocked them back down the stairs. Sokka winced and forced the door closed behind them; he knew it was just a matter of seconds before the Dai Lee managed to force it down. After he had achieved that, he looked around, the wind howling around them. They had managed to make it to the roof.

"We're screwed, aren't we?" Toph called out over the roaring wind.

"Pretty much!" Sokka looked at the door just as it was kicked into splinters. Seven Dai Lee agents came pouring out; the second they saw them, they fired their earth. Sokka grabbed Toph and dropped to the stone surface. The concrete seemed to become liquid underneath them as several Dai Lee agents leapt towards them to keep them pinned as the others bended the floor. Toph noticed the sudden change in the earth and, with a quick gesture, managed to solidify it again, if only long enough for her to create a stone wall. The Dai Lee agents slammed into it and fell to the floor. Sokka got to his feet and kicked them down the stairs, while Toph fired some stone projectiles at the remaining Dai Lee agents, who countered with walls of their own. Sokka pulled out his bag and began to search through it.

"Why the hell are you just standing there?" Toph yelled as she blocked some more incoming shots.

"I'm looking for my-ah!" He pulled out a drawstring bag with a string coming out of it. "Bingo!"

"What are you-?" Before she could finish, Sokka had lit the string and hurled the bag at the walled in Dai Lee agents. An explosion flared, destroying the stone wall and sending the agents reeling towards the stair case. Toph stomped her foot and brought up a slab of stone, and sent it flying towards the entrance, and roughly shoving the fallen agents down the stairs as it slammed into the door frame. Sokka ran over and pushed on it; the slab was wedged so far into the frame, it didn't budge.

"Exactly like I planned." He smiled.

"That's just great, Sokka, I'm glad your little plan worked, but in case you didn't notice, we are trapped on a fucking rooftop with an army of Dai Lee and criminals just on the other side of this rock that's blocking the only way down!" Toph snapped. "What are we supposed to do now?" Sokka glanced down at the fallen wood and began to gather it. "Hello?"

"Give me a second, I have an idea. Make a wall big enough to fit both of us, and a small half sphere." She did as he requested and Sokka arranged the wood into a small pyramid inside the sphere and placed another few drawstring bag, each with varying lengths of string and size. He stuck his hands in, struck a match, and lit the fire and the strings. Then he ran and hid behind the wall.

"So what is your brilliant idea?" A sudden explosion went off, followed by a second one ten seconds later, and a third a half minute later. The noise was deafening.

"Yep!" Sokka yelled, his ears ringing.

"What?" Toph gestured to her ears. "You have the yips?"

"No, I don't know any pimps! Where did you even learn that term anyway?" Fortunately, the wind began to relax as their hearing returned. Now that they had a chance to look, the sphere was decimated and smoke continued to pour out of it.

"What's going on?" Toph asked.

Sokka grinned. "Oh, I just set off a few of my handy explosives, sending fire and noise into the air, and hopefully getting the attention of most people in the Upper Ring while I'm at it."

"I thought you wanted to be subtle?"

"Nothing subtle about an SOS." Sokka grinned as he pointed to a large, flying mass drifting towards them; it was hard to see with just setting sun. "I think we got the attention we wanted." He began to wave his arms frantically in the air and jumping for attention. "Hey! Over here Aang!"

"Sokka?" As the object drew closer, Sokka could see the horns and the white fur; it was definitely Appa, Aang's flying sky bison, who had been their ride as they traveled across the world during the War. Aang himself was sitting at the reins on Appa's massive head, while Sokka thought he could see his dark haired sister sitting in the saddle that rested on Appa's back. "Sokka! Toph!" Aang smiled. "Long time no see!" He gave them a curious look. "You look…different."

"Yeah, well, you're still bald and haven't gone through puberty yet, so whooptie doo." Sokka scowled.

"We to get out of here! There's a whole building full of Dai Lee agents and cliché criminals after us!"

"What?" Katara thundered from behind a laughing Aang. "What the hell have you two been doing?"

"It's a long story, Sugar Queen." Toph rolled her eyes as Sokka led her to Appa as Aang pulled right alongside the building's ledge. Suddenly, the slab began shuddering as fists pounded on it from the stair case. "We should probably-" The slab shattered as more agents finally broke through, and began to pour onto the roof. Sokka picked Toph up and threw her onto the saddle and dived on.

"Drive Aang, drive!" Aang took one look at the bewildered Dai Lee and swiftly snapped the reins. Appa rose and began to build up speed as he distanced them from the building. One of the Dai Lee was about to shoot, until another smacked him.

"What the hell are you thinking? That's the fucking Avatar, dumbass! We can't hit him!"

"But, the criminals…!" The other agent groaned.

"Kid, we caught a ring of mobsters who've controlled the Pleasure District for months; and all we lost were two hooligans; get your priorities in order."

"But they've been declared public menaces…." The young agent looked doubtful.

"So they won't be stupid enough to come back. Now come on, we have some arresting to do. I'll even let you put some of the cuffs on them, how's that sound?" The Dai Lee headed back into the building, while the flying bison and his passengers continued on through the evening sky.

...

"That is awesome!" Aang laughed. After they had escaped the Dai Lee, they had flown south of the city, and after ten minutes, landed close to the Serpent's Pass, a thin and dangerous trail that divided two seas. All four of them had proceeded to set up a make shift camp and were all seated upon bed rolls around a fire, where Toph and Sokka had been telling their tale for the past hour.

"No it's not!" Katara scolded, but she couldn't quite wipe the smile off her face; Sokka rolled just rolled his eyes. As usual, whenever something bad happened to him, it was hilarious for everyone else. "So…I guess you're not going back to Ba Sing Se any time soon, are you?"

Toph snorted. "Like hell; they hate us there. We just barely got out with our lives. The casinos and tasteless bars aren't worth it." Sokka nodded.

"I just can't believe that after your experimenting with cactus juice back in the desert, that you'd be stupid enough to drink it by the gallon!" Now that the full story was out, Katara switched into full on mother mode, as she lectured them. "What the hell did you think you were doing? And then causing so much destruction, theft, getting wrapped up in criminals, _becoming_ criminals? What do you have to say for yourselves?"

"Katara, _please_, my head hurts enough without you yelling…." Sokka groaned, resting his head in his hands.

"You are never to so much as go near alcohol for the rest of your life! Why I think I should let Dad know what you…"

"Sugar Queen, he's like_ eighteen_; you can't just go tattling to daddy on him at that age." Toph rolled her eyes.

"Like hell I can't! And don't think I've forgotten about _you_, missy!" Katara's eyes narrowed as she turned her attention to Toph; Aang then reluctantly got to his feet and approached her.

"Katara, listen…it wasn't all their fault…and at least everyone is okay…right?" Katara's head snapped in his direction, causing him to shrink back. _Great; the most powerful bender on the planet, and my sister's got him whipped_, Sokka thought as she began to yell at the young monk.

"Well, baldy's going to get it now…." Toph muttered, while Sokka sighed. "…think we should save him?"

"How about we wait until she puts down the log first…." Sokka commented. Finally, he got up and put his hands on his sister's shoulders. "Katara, Aang's right; nobody important got hurt and Toph and I will work to pay the city back,_ right_ Toph?" He glared at Toph, who sighed.

"Yeah, don't worry about it Sugar Queen; we'll take care of it."

"See? Now set the…brother-in-law…" Sokka's teeth gnashed a little. "…down." Katara took a deep breath and reluctantly sat down. Aang gave them an appreciative look and then bent down next to Katara.

"Think maybe we should mention…?" Sokka and Toph glanced at each other, then stared at the other two.

"Mention what?" Toph asked. Katara gave Aang an appreciative look, but shook her head.

"First, Toph, can I talk to you?" Toph blinked, confused. "Alone?"

"Uh, sure, I guess…." She got up and approached the waterbender, while Aang walked over to Sokka.

"I think we may want to go get some more firewood."

"But we have plenty…" Aang grabbed Sokka's arm and began to drag him away from the campsite. Sokka was taken aback by Aang's strength; he was definitely stronger than he was before. Now that he got a better look at him, the monk even seemed a little taller…perhaps his childish looks were misleading; maybe, just maybe…he had hit-or at least lightly smacked-puberty after all. Aang led him out to the entrance to the Pass and stopped. Aang didn't say anything immediately; instead, he and Sokka gazed up at the night sky. The moon was almost full and there wasn't a cloud in the sky; Sokka glanced behind them and could distantly see a huge wall of black and countless lights blazed behind it. It was hard to believe that just that morning, he had woken up in some fancy restaurant; now, he was considered a public enemy and was probably banned from Ba Sing Se for the rest of his life. He sighed as he looked at the moon._ Yue…what would you make of me now?_

"Sokka…it's been rough." Sokka glanced over at Aang, listening. "The world…it's in bad shape; we're still a year away from agreeing to comprise about the compromise. The War hurt so many people and lasted for so long, the idea of reparations being evenly paid to everyone is almost impossible. People are out, begging for the Fire Nation to pay for it all, something that as much as Zuko wants to, he can't allow, since it would literally destroy the Fire Nation's economy, and send almost all its people into poverty. Since he won't pay the whole amount, the Earth Kingdom's people are refusing to allow their king to agree to anything less, to the point of threatening to dethrone him. Zuko is pretty much in the same boat, except he already has a small rebellion brewing on his hands. People aren't happy with him." Aang sighed and for the first time since Sokka had met him, truly looked the hundred and fifteen years old he was supposed to be.

"It's funny how things were so much easier when we all were trying to kill each other. Now that we have to agree, no one can do a damn thing." Sokka muttered. Aang reluctantly nodded.

"Yeah, but I still think it was worth it; no matter how it seems now, these are good people. Things will work out, even if it takes another hundred years." Aang smiled and began to look more like the fifteen year old he had come to know.

"Without being frozen in another iceberg, I don't think you'll be around another hundred years." Sokka pointed out. Aang just rolled his eyes.

"Oh come on, what happened to the new, improved 'optimistic' Sokka?" Sokka just pointed to Ba Sing Se. "Oh…right. That's still funny by the way." Aang grinned while Sokka just pouted. "So…you and Toph eh?" Sokka said nothing; he just punched Aang in the shoulder. "Ow…." The Avatar mumbled as he rubbed the sore area. "Anyway...as you can see, I have a lot on my plate right now."

"No shi…er, I mean, obviously." Aang ignored the stumble and continued.

"I need a favor."

"Anything." Sokka answered. Aang looked taken back.

"Don't you want to know what it is first?"

"Doesn't matter what it is, you know I'll do it anyway. You're my best friend after all; how heartless do you think I am?"

"Okay…" Aang shrugged, then winced at the motion. "You've heard of Republic City, right?"

"That city you and Zuko had commissioned pretty much right after the War was over?"

"Yeah, that one. The idea was a city that was not really dedicated to one nation, you know? It's a place where the nationalities, benders, and nonbenders alike just crossover…. We don't have a clue how it's going to turn out; for all we know, it's just going to blow up in our faces. But that's not what I need you to be worried about. The thing is, it's still in its very early stages; it took forever to get several hundred people from all three nations to agree to stay in the same city….the situation is still tense, even after two years of living there. Almost anything could set it off and send the whole thing back to square one. And now…people are disappearing."

"Disappearing?" Sokka felt a chill run down his spine, but he just blamed it on the cool temperature. "Disappearing how?"

"That's the thing; they're just gone. One minute they're there, the next, nobody's heard from them for days. Their homes are left untouched, and no…bodies have turned up." Aang looked sickened at the idea of them being murdered. "And it's not just one group of people being targeted either; people from the Water Tribes, Earth Kingdom, and the Fire Nation have all been victims…however, so far, the Fire Nation has only lost two people while the other two are up to about twenty each."

"Is there anything at all linking the victims? Like money, age, gender, or, hell, shoe size?"

"Well…there is one thing." Aang hesitated. "They're all benders."

...

"So…what did you want to talk to me about?" After Sokka and Aang left, an awkward silence had fallen upon the camp. Katara ignored Toph and continued to stare into the fire, looking contemplative. Toph waited for another few seconds, feeling a twinge of annoyance. "Hello? Anybody there?" She waved a hand where she hoped Katara's face was.

"Can I see the necklace?" Toph blinked, surprised at the request.

"Uh, sure." Hesitating, she took off her scarf and placed it on the bedroll beside her. Katara gazed at the black necklace, her brow furrowed. Finally, she nodded.

"It's beautiful. I didn't know my brother was that artistic."

"Seriously? It's nice?" Katara chuckled.

"Yes, it genuinely is…surprising, considering how he can't draw a stick man. To think that he could carve it while drunk out his mind baffles me." The waterbender's expression became more serious. "So, you say that you can't bend it back?" Toph shook her head.

"For the last time, no! Geez, why do you all keep asking the same stupid question?"

"Maybe because we don't believe the answer." Toph tensed.

"What?" She asked quietly.

"Toph, the question is simple: is it that you can't bend it or is it that you won't?"

"You think I'm lying?" Toph glowered. "Why the _hell_ would I do something like that?" Katara paused and considered her next words.

"Look, I know, okay? I know that you fell in love with Sokka back when we were traveling together during the War." Toph opened her mouth to protest, but Katara cut her off. "Don't even bother trying to deny it; I'm not making it up and I know that, deep down, you know it."

"What makes you so fucking all knowing?" Toph spat. "Back then, you were so wrapped up in your fucking soap opera with Aang that I'm shocked you'd find time to see something that wasn't even there!" Katara just sighed.

"Okay, I know you're mad and perhaps you're right, that I didn't get as good a look as I'd like to think, but I wasn't as completely ignorant as you seem to think; give me more credit than that, at least. Who was the one who missed him the most when he went to train with Piando? Who was the one who actually blushed like some school girl when he returned? Or when he tried to save her life at the Serpent's Pass?" Toph looked furious and was about to retort, but seemed to almost visibly deflate; Toph slumped and looked unseeing at the fire.

"So what? That was years ago; it was only a crush…_a short lived one_…besides, he chose Suki, remember? I may not seem like it, but I'm a good sport…the better person won, right? I get that, I accept it…I'm happy for him…even if she can't tell a joke worth shit…can't seem to come up with the right words, fucks up the timing every time…" She sniffed a little; Katara just nodded. "Anyway, why would it matter now? I'm over the dumbass…."

"Toph…I think you know why." Katara said gently.

"No. I. Don't."

"Yes you do."

"What part of 'he chose Suki and I accepted that with open arms' are you missing?" Toph snapped, her temper beginning to rise again.

"Look…two weeks ago, I got a letter. It was from Suki; she told me what happened with Sokka…I know that things between them aren't the best right now, and I'm sure he told you about it too. You knew that he was in doubt over his relationship and, after a few drinks…that seems like a second chance." Toph gaped at Katara.

"What sort of person do you take me for?" She thundered. "Besides, if you know what Suki did to him, what makes you think that maybe he shouldn't move on to someone else?"

"Toph, listen to me…I know how you're feeling right now, but you have to listen. The argument was not all Suki's fault. Do you hear me? Sokka may not be aware of it, or he's just choosing not to remember, but he had a hand in this as well. Suki is not the bad guy here. I know it, Aang knows it, the Kyoshi Warriors know it, …and I think, deep down, Sokka is aware of it too." Toph's jaw fell.

"Are you seriously siding with _her_, over your own brother? You practically raised him!" Katara breathed and tried to keep her voice level.

"Yes, and because of that, I know his faults better than anyone; Sokka is not a perfect person by any means, and he doesn't try to be. Frankly, I think if he didn't run away like he did, he and Suki would have worked it out already-and they can work it out, I'm sure."

"How can you say that? She humiliated him, and drove him off the island! He's been living in some shithole bar, drinking his sorrows away to some underpaid and under-qualified bartender who hated him! Do you think Sokka would do that to himself? You should know him better than that."

"That isn't what actually happened; if you would just look at this…" Katara reached over to one of the bags and, after some sifting, pulled out a folded, if slightly crumpled paper. "…you'd get the full picture."

"I can't 'look' at the bitch's letter, since I, as I constantly have to remind you people, am _blind_." Katara's patience began to wear thin.

"You know what I meant!"

"Besides, even if I gave a damn about what she had to say, why is this necklace such a big deal? Why can't he just run back to his apparent soul mate and make up and everyone goes on with their lives?" Katara's teeth began to grind a little; she was having more than enough of Toph's lip.

"Because, if you must know…"

"Oh, I 'must'."

"_If you must know_…, despite the drunk binge aspect…technically that betrothal necklace is valid…in the eyes of our customs, at least. Hence why Sokka made such a big deal about it to begin with." Toph's expression became unreadable, but Katara could guess what was going through her mind. "No, Toph; he didn't know what he was doing, and he clearly still wants to be with Suki…and, whether you like it or not, she wants to be with him too."

"You know what? Once she proves to me that she's sorry for what's she done, then we can talk about what happens to this necklace." Toph crossed her arms defiantly. Katara groaned.

"How old are you? Do you have any idea how petty you sound right now?"

"You think I'm the one wrong here? What about you, siding with the girl who hurt your brother? See, to me, that's more messed up than trying to make sure it doesn't happen again." Toph grabbed her scarf and began to get to her feet.

"There aren't any 'sides' to this; all it is a disagreement and misunderstanding." Katara said; Toph ignored her and started to leave. Finally, the waterbender stood up and said, "This 'war' is over, Toph."

Toph paused and glanced over her shoulder and scowled. "Not for me, it's not." She walked away from the camp and headed towards the Pass.

...

Sokka and Aang jumped when they heard footsteps; they glanced behind them and relaxed when they saw it was Toph. "So, you had your talk with Katara?" Aang asked; when he saw the look on Toph's face though, he shivered a little. "I guess that would be a yes…." He whispered to Sokka.

"Yeah, only Katara can piss Toph off like that…" Sokka agreed; Toph coughed pointedly.

"I can hear every word you're saying." The men quickly distanced themselves a bit from one another and tried to look preoccupied. Toph just groaned and sat down on rock, clutching her forehead. Aang sensed her mood and turned to Sokka.

"Well…I should probably go check on Katara…see you back at camp?" Sokka nodded and Aang left-Sokka pretended to ignore the reliefed expression on his face as he walked away; instead, he contented himself that if Toph was this pissed, chances are Katara is about the same. _Had he not run out on me, I'd feel a little sorry for the poor bastard_. For a while, he and Toph were silent; only the faint sound of waves filled the night. Sokka meandered over by Toph and, with a loud sigh, sat down on the rocky ground beside her seat; however, he winced in discomfort at the sharp rock he had sat on. Toph just angrily flicked her hand and the earth surged under Sokka, making a reasonable seat. Sokka grunted his appreciation and stared at the ocean for a bit. Finally, he broke the silence.

"Well…long day, huh?" He said; Toph just grunted and glared at the ground. "I take Katara was her usual self then?"

"I can't see how the hell you guys are related! She is just so…." Sokka chuckled.

"Yeah…she can be like that, you know…but she means well, deep down. And usually, there some way or the other, she turns out to be right anyway." Sokka blinked. "Toph…are you pouting?" Toph scowled and crossed her arms. _That would be a yes..._Sokka mentally groaned; if there was any doubt that Toph was female, this whole adventure had dismissed it. He glanced up at the moon, almost as if to silently beg Yue for guidance. After that failed, he glanced over at Toph and noticed the necklace. "Oh, you're not wearing that scarf anymore…yeah, I suppose that makes sense; Aang and Katara already knowing and all. A shame really; it was a nice scarf…really nice scarf. I sometimes have such good taste, that I surprise myself, like when your belt matched my man bag _perfectly_…at least until you made me give it back."

"…you dropped it on my head." Toph reluctantly commented; encouraged, Sokka continued.

"Well, I sort of thought you'd…, you know, catch it."

"That's right Sokka; you not only stole my heavy, steel championship belt, but then decided it would be a good idea to return it by tossing said heavy, steel championship belt to a blind person."

"But…"

"To. A. Blind. Person." Toph emphasized grudgingly; Sokka noted she was hell bent to keep her bad mood. "Seriously, how hard is it to remember I'm blind? Spirits, you are such a dumbass."

Sokka thought about this and shrugged. "Yeah, yeah I am."

"And an idiot."

"True."

"And clumsy, a sucky drawer, overly sarcastic, meat-obsessed, paranoid, easily offended, wimpy, a shopaholic...funny, nice, smart, dependable, determined..." She trailed off, as she realized what she was saying; Sokka merely laughed.

"Wow, Toph…almost seemed like you were saying something nice about me." Toph frowned, a mix of relief and hurt weighed on her mind.

"Yeah, well…don't get used to it, Snoozles."

"Don't worry." Sokka dismissed. "I'll try to keep my ego in check at your high praise." They fell silent; Sokka stared at the gently lapping waves, while Toph just tried to focus on anything but the heartbeat next to her. Sometimes, knowing a person's heart rate just made situations like these all the more hurtful. Sokka then spoke up. "Aang needs me to look into something; apparently, benders are disappearing in Republic City."

"Any bodies?"

"No, apparently; they're just there one minute, the next, they're 'poof' and gone without a trace. Problem is, it seems that the firebenders are the ones being spared the most grief; if it keeps up, it won't be long before people start noticing and blaming the Fire Nation for it….and the whole thing would probably collapse."

"Sounds like a mystery…." Sokka grinned a little.

"And you know how I love a good mystery. Though, I'll probably need some help…." He glanced at her.

"Already got a plan, I take it?"

"Oh yeah."

"Does it involve disguises and other annoying detective gimmicks?"

"You bet your ass it does." Toph cracked a smile.

"Okay, I'm in." Sokka grinned.

"Great! We leave first thing in the morning; Aang's probably already filling Katara in on the details." He carefully looked at Toph's expression and decided to risk it. He took a deep breath and casually asked, "So…what did she want to talk to you about?"

Toph stiffened and Sokka winced, already expecting her to explode at him; instead, he was surprised to see that she was staring at the ground, as if in deep thought. Finally, she appeared to have come to a decision and slumped a little.

"Katara…well, she was just telling me that…that…Suki wrote to her about you." Sokka's jaw dropped and Toph could sense his heartbeat pick up a little; a bitter pang of jealousy flared through her, but she gritted her teeth and continued. "Apparently…she wants to talk about what happened…though, she sounded pissed." Toph couldn't stop the words from pouring out of her mouth; the second they did, she hated herself.

"She…did…?" Sokka turned away from Toph and stared intently at the moon, as if that would give him an answer. "Di…did she say why?" Toph could hear the hurt and confliction in his tone and cursed herself.

"Well, she may have…but you know how bad I am at that sort of thing and I couldn't read it; it was probably just how Katara sounded, since she was still pissed about the whole 'reckless drinking' and 'the most property damage that Ba Sing Se had seen since the War' thing." Toph babbled, trying to make up for the lie. "Er…from the little I could tell, she sounded like she just wants to explain….or something; I never could tell what that romantic shit was about." Sokka relaxed a bit and Toph released a breath that she hadn't even noticed she was holding.

"That's…better at least; maybe things will work out after all…" Toph could feel an invisible knife twisting her guts the more she heard the hope in his tone.

"Then…maybe…before we go to Republic, you should go talk to her. Get it worked out." She mumbled. Sokka considered this, but shook his head.

"No." Toph lifted her head, surprised; and she hated herself for the small flutter of hope that she felt. Sokka noticed her reaction and continued. "As much as I want to get to the bottom of this with Suki, other people need my help first; I figure they deserve my attention more. Besides, she didn't try to contact me…she wrote to my sister. If that's the case, perhaps it may not be as urgent for her as I thought…. She probably didn't try to go drown her 'sorrows' with crappy booze for weeks while trying to figure out what went wrong." Sokka's tone, despite the hope, had a small hint of anger and resentment to it.

"Besides, you helped me get out of my rut, off my ass, and made me have fun for the first time in ages." Sokka gave a sad grin. "I figure I need to pay off that debt somehow, right?" Toph truly was at loss for words. Sokka didn't notice and wrapped an arm around her shoulder. "With Wang and Sapphire Fire on the case, this mystery will be solved faster than if a gang full of traveling, mystery solving youngsters were on the job!" He declared in a dramatic voice. Toph froze; her light necklace seemed to weigh a ton. Finally, she just rolled her eyes.

"No way in hell that's going to be our cover. I told already; Wang Fire is a crappy disguise, remember? That cliché idiot even saw through it right away." Sokka looked annoyed.

"True…perhaps it's time to come up with something even cooler than an awesome beard…"

"What is with you and your facial hair obsession? It's so…weird." Sokka just shrugged off her criticism and got to his feet. He reached over and gently grabbed Toph's hand, and helped her to her feet. She blinked and reluctantly allowed Sokka to begin to lead them back to camp. "I wonder if tomorrow is going to be as odd as today was." She wondered aloud. Sokka laughed.

"Oh, I think it would be hard to top this day. Though I have decided something."

"What?"

"I'm never going to drink again." Toph snorted. "Hey, I'm serious; it's too much trouble. I mean, this time, I stole money, destroyed property, did terrible things to a goat, and wound up engaged…I don't want to see what happens in that particular sequel, thank you very much." He and Toph laughed and, with a quick glance over his shoulder at the full moon, they returned to the other two and, for the rest of the night at least, the world seemed to be right for the first time in three years.

...

…**the end? Look, I know that this may be a little crappy, but for the time being, I'm leaving this as it is; this one shot wound up turning into more of a prologue to another fic idea I've been kicking around for a while now, but unfortunately, that fic is a long way off from being worked on, since I'm actually going to begin to try and write something original I could earn money with…but otherwise, I think this works out pretty well on its own. (however, if anyone is interested in taking over for the 'sequel' fic, contact me and I'll let you know how the rest of it is meant to go, and you can take it from there)**

**It also drastically changed while I was writing; I was aiming for light and toss in some mild romantic themes as well (because I'm a somewhat bitter Tokka fan and desperately need the practice anyway)…but it wound up becoming borderline angst by the end…I hope that I retained the light atmosphere I was aiming for, but also achieved decent romantic frustration…(and that Sokka's speech during the building attack thing didn't seem to forced or crappy) and I apologize if the dialogue was a bit too frequent or whatever.**

**Thanks a lot for reading!**


	4. Important Author's Note

**Hey everybody, Sokka's Fan-Lawyer here with breaking news!...sort of.**

**First of all, sorry for those of you who thought this was going to be another chapter...please just read the rest and don't throw stuff at me until afterwards, okay? *dodges flung soda can* Er...anyway...*cough***

**I know it's been a while (okay, a **_**long**_** while) since I last commented on the status of this fic. As I stated at the end, Wakin' Up in Ba Sing Se was a three shot with a contained story…that leads right into another one. That's right, the sequel fic is coming soon! I'm working on the first part of new fic, whose present title is "Wakin' Up in Republic City" for sake of continuity and laziness on my part; I'm thinking of new ones, so if anyone has any suggestions, feel free to throw them my way.**

**Anyway, for all those who held out hope that there would be more goodness on the way, rejoice! Your wait has not been in vain! (all five of you) Though I will be honest and say that the complete first part will probably not come out until like late March or something (I'm something of a slow…slow writer), I will upload the first part of part 1 today or early tomorrow, so feel free to check that out! (please…? *sniff* Don't make me get out the puppy dog eyes…)**

**I appreciate each and every one of you readers who decided to take time out of their lives to read this short story and deemed it worthy of that time. Thank you so much! I can only hope that the sequel –and myself-will live up to your expectations. Thanks again!**


	5. Republic City Case Files Preview

**Hey everybody, Sokka's Fan-Lawyer here!...again.**

**While I've already uploaded this as a separate story, I felt that I may as well upload it at the end of Wakin' Up in Ba Sing Se as well, just to give people a preview of what's to come, and any suggestions of what needs changing/worked on/etc.**

**Now then, the basic layout of this fic is going to be simple, but different from what people may expect. Basically, the whole first part is going to be Sokka and Toph solving mysteries in Republic City, while trying to figure out an underlining case (Basically, just think of a USA show like, say, White Collar where there is a constant background thing alongside the problem of the day episode, which will eventually build and explode at viewer-grabbing proportions at the end of the season**…**). I am taking suggestions if there are any mysteries you guys want to see Sokka and Toph get involved in though! **

**Anyway, enough with my blabbering! On with the fic!**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing outside of some nice pocket lint where my wallet used to be (and I'm willing to part with it for the right price)**

…

Mr. Fuin was not a coward. Even when he had been a child, he was the one chiding his older brother for being afraid to go to the bathroom at night because it was outside. Now that he was older, wiser, and the owner of one of the higher quality apartment complexes in the new Republic City, he should have even less reason to feel ill at ease. However…he glanced over his shoulder; there was an ominous feeling that he just couldn't shake. Perhaps it was merely because it was late at night and the building was entirely silent; as the owner, he felt it his responsibility to take the late shift behind the lobby desk. He glanced out the stone entrance at the dark street beyond.

"The city itself seemed to be asleep tonight…," he murmured to himself. The middle aged man wandered from behind the wooden lobby desk to the entrance. He peeked his head out on the street; with the aid of the City's street lamps, he could make out the figures of two travelers on the otherwise empty lane. He sighed and looked up at the starry sky. Even the Moon Spirit seemed to be taking the evening off. Otherwise, things seemed peaceful enough. Yet, Fuin still felt something stirring in his stomach. For some reason, the past few nights, there seemed to be a heaviness infecting the atmosphere of his establishment. More than one employee had noticed it and has taken advantage of their unused vacation days. What could it be? Ever since he had…._No_, he shook his head to stop himself, _I'll not think about that now._

Instead, he moved on to other topics that merited his attention, such as who had paid their rent in advance and who was being kicked out shortly. It hurt him, but as he looked at his master guest list, it was looking like Tiguh on the third floor was overdue by three months and didn't show any signs of paying yet. "And don't get me started about that bastard Gin on the second floor." Fuin scowled. Was the bum even employed? It had seemed so when he first rented to him, but ever since, rent payment had been inconsistent at best. Then there was the woman from the second floor and the man from the first that he had not seen as of late; would they be able to pay that month's rent or should he be looking for more tenants? While Fuin tried to be an understanding man, when the City came looking for payment for their water and power bills, it was every man for himself, as far as Fuin was concerned.

The man looked up at one of the lit lights and shook his head in bafflement. As much as he hated to admit it, he was old enough that he marveled at the fact that Republic City had, thanks to some crazy man known only as the Mechanist, utilized steam and had brought something called electricity to the City's citizen's. Fuin had never thought he'd live to see the day that electricity replaced torches, but then, he also didn't think he would ever see the War come to an end, and he had been proven wrong there; why not with other things? That Mechanist fellow and his son seemed to have taken up house in the outskirts of the City and had become something of an elusive celebrity due to his work with steam; there were even rumors of his recreating airbending via the steam, but Fuin didn't put much stock in such ridiculous tales. Still, the Mechanist was backed by Governor Tong, so the man couldn't be _that_ crazy.

Still, it was amazing how the world seemed to be changing lately…now if there weren't so many of those damn Fire Nation colonials wandering around, maybe Fuin would feel safe at night. The Earth Kingdom man trusted Avatar Aang's word, but when it came to his promise that the Fire Nation people would not attack again, now that Ozai was behind bars, Fuin shared a widely held skepticism. Just because the boss was in jail didn't mean that the evil subordinates could be trusted, and Fuin refused to rent any of the Colonials who came to him, if he could help it; let them keep to their own kind for all he cared. As it was, the three he had sharing an apartment on the third floor felt like too many; however, he conceded, at least they paid their rent on time; Spirits knew where they got the money to do so, though.

A loud thud shook Mr. Fuin from his thoughts. He shook his head and realized he had been starring at the same page for the past five minutes. Sighing, he set the list back down on the counter and looked around. Nothing had fallen in the lobby, as far as he could tell; the delicate vases were still intact and none of the artwork on the walls had come loose. He looked at the relatively long hallway behind him, where the six apartments on the floor were housed, three on both sides; it was lit by three lights that dangled from the ceiling, but they had been dimmed for the night. Nothing. Mr. Fuin's brow furrowed. Had he just imagined the noise? Had one of the tenants dropped something and dealt with it? If so, Fuin knew that when he next collected rent, he would have to inform the tenants to be quieter. With that, he shrugged and turned to return to his desk.

Suddenly, the lights flickered and died.

Plunged into darkness, Mr. Fuin didn't try to think much of it; after all, as the city's electrical network had only just been installed last year, it was to be expected that it break down sometimes. Already that month, the power had broken down five times, surely this was no different. However, a part of Mr. Fuin knew that something was wrong. The ominous feeling in his stomach seemed to increase as a bead of sweat slid down his cheek. The entire room was dark; not even the street lamps had been spared, it seemed, and the moon was at its dark phase, so he wasn't going to get light from there.

Suddenly, Mr. Fuin stiffened, a chill set in the small of his back: there was someone in the room with him, he was sure of it. He could just feel their presence. "Hello?" He called out while trying to keep his voice level. No response.

He reached into the desk's one big drawer and fished out some flint. With a grunt, he managed to light the candle that he always had set on the desk top. Picking it up, he quickly glanced around the room. No one was there. Cautiously, he turned around and again looked down the first floor hallway; however, he could not see that far down, thanks to the candle's limited light.

Suppressing a shiver, Fuin walked around the desk and slowly shut the wooden door and locked it. Pocketing the key, the owner turned towards his desk and began to make his way down the first floor hallway when he stopped. To his horror, he thought he could see someone standing at the end of the hallway. He was wearing a dark cloak but it was the mask he wore that chilled Fuin to the bone. He was wearing a dragon mask that seemed…to be glowing?

"Ji Fuin…," The figure slowly hissed, as if savoring each syllable. "You bear much hate in your heart for the Fire Nation…." Fuin had nothing to say; he could barely hear the man over the pounding of his heartbeat in his ears. Suddenly, the glowing mask charged at him, stopping mere inches from his face, all without a sound. The owner almost dropped his candle in shock.

"W-what do you want with me?" Fuin finally managed to get out. The figure chuckled darkly.

"We don't want anything from you but your disappearance. Leave this building and never return, or things are going to start…happening."

"I-I'm not scared of you…!" Fuin weakly replied as he tried to back away from the figure. A cold, claw-like hand grabbed his collar.

"Yes you are." The mask seemed to be…smiling down at him, and Fuin swore he could smell a hint of sulfur.

"What do you want with my building?" The figure laughed.

"That's for us to know and for you to never find out." The figure blew out Fuin's candle and released him. The light from the mask's glow seemed even brighter as the man walked into the lobby and turned to Fuin. "You will do as we've asked." Now that the man was farther away, Fuin felt a stirring of courage surge within him; who was this bastard to come into his place and order him out?

"Now you listen to me: this place was passed down to me by my father! I refuse to let some Fire Nation loving _freak_ come here and tell me to get! I'm not leaving!" The figure said nothing. The ornate dragon mask seemed to stare right into Fuin's soul, but he promised himself he wouldn't budge, even if he had to call the police or fight the bastard. Finally, the speaker spoke in a booming voice.

"Then I damn you, Ji Fuin! I damn you, your business, and your tenants under the Curse of the Manasa!" Again, Fuin could swear he could smell sulfur and a chill gripped him, stopping him from breathing. The mask just continued to stare at him in anger. "Just remember, when your precious money tickets come to you, you brought it upon them." Smoke began to obscure the glow of the mask and the room began to feel humid. A loud roar erupted and the figure vanished without a trace. Fuin just continued to stare in shock. The lights flickered and began to revive, illuminating the lobby again; however, there was not a trace of Mr. Fuin's mystery guest. His breath slowly returned to him and he could begin to try and figure out what just happened.

He wasn't given long, as a shrill shriek came from above, followed by a loud crash. Quickly, Fuin began to race down the hall to the staircase at the end, beginning to hear the clamor as more and more tenants were awoken by the screaming. _What have I brought upon us_, Fuin wondered mournfully. _What have I done?_

…

Sokka moaned as he stared out the window. He didn't get it; he had spent years traversing the world in what had to be one of the shakiest vehicles in existence, a fucking _flying _bison, and didn't get motion sick once. Put him on a large carriage being driven by what had to be a drunk madman, and suddenly he feels like throwing up the sea prune stew his sister had made for him before they parted ways three days ago.

"Oh, will you just quit your bitching? Seriously, I'm blind and rely on vibrations to see, yet lo and behold, I'm perfectly fine." His best friend and "wife" rolled her eyes and gave him a light punch on the arm. "Suck it up, pussy." Sokka didn't have the energy to retort. Instead, he just groaned and muttered.

"A lady doesn't talk like that, you know." _Keep in character_. The message wasn't lost on Toph, who just brushed a stray hair behind her ear.

"I thought we agreed _you _were the 'lady' in this relationship." She coughed pointedly. Sokka chuckled dryly, as the motion sickness lessened; the carriage had stopped rocking as drastically and slowed.

"Yeah, whatever; you just don't want to admit you're wearing a dress and liking it, aren't you?" Toph glared at him and her hand twitched; had they not been surrounded by half-asleep people and on the ground, Sokka knew that she would have earthbended the crap out of him. After a second, she sighed and set her hand down on her lap and gave a halfhearted "teehee"; it sounded artificial but Sokka didn't push her on the issue. For a few minutes, the two sat in silence and Sokka couldn't help but wonder how the heck they found themselves in disguise, immigrating to what had to be one of the biggest and most unstable cities in the world.

It had seemed like just yesterday when one of his best friends and brother-in-law (no matter how much it made him cringe at the thought), Avatar Aang, had "saved" him and Toph from Ba Sing Se (if aiding fugitives from the law and justice counted as saving, morally speaking). Afterwards, he had asked Sokka to look into something. After the Fire Nation's 100 year War against the world ended, Aang, as the Avatar and spiritual guide of the planet, and his friend Fire Lord Zuko, had decided to build a city that would unite the people of the world. Populated by people of the Water Tribes, Earth Kingdom, and the Fire Nation alike, they had combined multiple cities in the Earth Kingdom with the Fire Nation colonies and called it: Republic City. Two years later, the City still had some kinks to work out, such as the high crime rate, disorganization, and prejudice; however, things were going well, considering. Given time, the project might even succeed. However, there was a problem that Aang was hoping to keep under wraps: people were disappearing. Not being murdered or held ransom or anything tradition: they just disappeared. There was no rhyme or reason to these disappearances except for the fact they were all benders, people capable of controlling and bending the elements to their will. Normally this would have been a problem in and of itself; however, there was a bigger issue at hand. Of the three nations present in Republic City, the Fire Nation had lost the least amount of benders. If the public picked up on that, they would turn to blame the Fire Nation for the disappearances and the whole concept of a united city could be strangled in its cradle. The world could wind up at war again, if no one stopped whoever was behind this.

Sokka smirked. Fortunately, Aang had known that Sokka was sharper than the average Moose Lion and trusted him to take care of the matter. Seeing that he was busy pushing off confronting Suki about their "argument" anyway, Sokka had agreed to Aang's request. Sokka risked a glance over at Toph, who was staring out the window, bored. After they had reunited in Ba Sing Se, it hadn't seemed right to just go off on a mission like this and not at least offer to bring her along; she was his best friend, after all. Besides, she wouldn't have dreamed of missing out on a possible adventure anyway. Plus, Sokka knew it couldn't hurt to have a master earthbender who could also serve as a human lie detector on board, especially with a mystery of this magnitude. The Water Tribe warrior smiled to himself; he had to admit, it was nice traveling with her again. It just felt _right_; after all, solving mysteries and kicking butt were only fun if you had a friend to do it with, and Toph certainly fit that bill….

Sokka paused. There was that feeling again; it was something that had been bothering him ever since their misadventure in Ba Sing Se but he couldn't quite put his finger on what it was. It could have been due to his fight with Suki, or Toph's new mature look, or the fact that she had helped him out of a dark place of self-pity, but for some reason, when he thought about her, his stomach seemed to clench a little…. It reminded him distantly of what he had felt after the first time he had been on Kyoshi Island with Suki; but that didn't make any sense! He was, however estranged they are, in love with Suki. So what could this sensation really be? While he pondered this, Toph looked away from the window and leaned into Sokka. "I've been feeling you staring at me for the last five minutes; keep it up and I'm going to have to start charging."

Sokka blinked. He hadn't realized he had been staring at her, especially to the point that the _blind_ earthbender could notice. "Sorry; I was just thinking."

"Well, that can't be good for anyone." Toph rolled her eyes. "What about?" Sokka quickly shook his head and unconsciously flushed a little.

"Nothing! Nothing for you to worry about, at least." Toph looked up at him with a deadpan expression.

"I can tell your heart rate's gone up, idiot. Don't even try denying it." Sokka grimaced; she had a point. When he didn't answer, she gave him an odd look but shrugged. "Whatever. If you don't want to tell me, fine." She pushed herself off his chest and returned to leaning on the window. Sokka mentally groaned; he could tell that she was pissed at him. Having the team divided before the mission even began was not a good omen. He had to come up with something to tell her. His blue eyes quickly fell to the bag beside him and inspiration struck.

"Well, if you must know, I was thinking about our cover story. Given the sheer number of immigrants and the disorganization of the City, we should be okay, but it still has me a little nervous…; hopefully, those passports that Aang gave us will work…."

After Sokka and Toph had agreed to help Aang, they realized that not only were they too recognizable of public figures to be able to subtly dig around the City, but after their time in Ba Sing Se, they were wanted fugitives as well. Which meant, much to Sokka's delight and planning, cover identities were needed. Thanks to his connections, Aang and Katara, Sokka's sister and waterbending master, had managed to supply him and Toph with both finances to set up shop in the city and a new identity to go with it; that was the most they could do, without drawing too much attention to the matter. Plus, they felt bad that they couldn't help Sokka and Toph more; after all the adventures the four of them had had, it didn't seem complete without Aang and Katara. But they were more renown than Sokka or even Toph, and Aang had his Avatar duties to uphold, on top of his relationship with Katara; they were just too busy to help, hence their outsourcing the problem to Sokka and Toph.

Of course, in addition to their fugitive status, the drunken shenanigans in Ba Sing Se had created a further complication….

A tan, barely middle-aged woman sitting near them noticed Sokka and smiled. Eagerly, she leaned over and whispered, "That is a beautiful betrothal necklace." She gestured to the distracted Toph, who had resumed staring out the window and pretending she couldn't hear her. "I noticed it an hour ago and just felt I should tell you that the craftsmanship is remarkable! Much better than what my husband gave me before we got married…." She tossed a playful glare at the man beside her, who just rolled his eyes and kicked her lightly. "Oh you! So, how long have you two been engaged?" She directed her attention at Toph, who grudgingly stopped pretending to look out the window and faced her. Sokka was surprised to see that she was blushing a little; then again, this was something of an awkward experience for both of them. Fortunately, they had rehearsed their story beforehand, so they should be safe.

"Oh, we've been dating for years now, but it was only recently we got 'officially' engaged. Since my fiancé's family…fishing business was barely staying afloat, thanks to the War….," Sokka snickered at the pun, but Toph quickly gave him a light smack to shut him up. "Anyway, he barely had any money to make a decent proposal, especially for my parents' satisfaction. But somehow, he managed to make me this betrothal necklace," She gestured to her neck, where a black medallion hung off its stone choker. Sokka sighed; it had used to be her space-earth arm band that he gave her while they were adventuring, but after they got drunk at Ba Sing Se, they woke up to find it permanently transfigured into a Water Tribe betrothal necklace. Despite her best efforts, Toph had been unable to bend it back and so they were forced to include the engagement into their cover story. "I still don't know where he found the stone…."

Sokka laughed pointedly. "Ha, honey, how many times do I have to tell you? It's a secret!" The woman took a closer look at the necklace.

"It does seem a tad…irregular…." Sokka chuckled.

"What part of 'secret' don't you women understand? Geez! This guy knows what I'm talking about!" He gestured to the woman's husband. "Right? A man never tells where he got the betrothal stone." The other man gave Sokka a knowing look and nodded firmly.

"Yeah. It is a secret Water Tribe men carry to their graves." The woman rolled her eyes.

"You just don't want me finding out that it was some cheap stone you found in the woods while you were hunting with your friends."

"Hey, if you need someone to be the judge, I've got a pretty good eye; besides, I grew up with two sisters. I think I know a thing or two about betrothal necklaces…." Sokka offered, coming to the other man's aid. The woman shook her head, but lowered the hood of her cloak to reveal a deep blue, ornately carved medallion. Sokka leaned over and furrowed his brows, as if analyzing the piece; truth be told, he had no idea of what he was doing. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Toph give it a thumbs down. However, he kept on pretending. He tapped the necklace, felt the smooth texture, and grunted. Finally, he nodded and said, "Your necklace is fine; it's one of the nicer one's I've seen, anyway! Though, I grew up in the Northern Water Tribe, so I've seen quite a few in my day!" The woman blushed while the man nodded appreciatively. Toph rolled her eyes and decided to take control of the conversation, if the couple insisted on continuing bothering them.

"So what brings you to Republic City?" She asked politely, leaning into Sokka again. The woman glanced at the man, who shrugged.

"I used to be with the Dai Lee in Ba Sing Se; but once they joined Azula, I resigned and hid among a band of refugees just entering the city. That's where I met May here," he rubbed her shoulder affectionately. "Anyway, once the War was over, I didn't see much point in staying in Ba Sing Se; however, when we heard about this international city thing, we knew that we had to live there; maybe because we're a multiracial couple, the idea just appealed to us, you know? So, we both worked and only just recently saved up enough gold to risk the move. We're planning on staying with May's brother for a while, at least until we get on our feet. " May smiled up at her husband. Sokka and Toph just stared at the man, incredulous.

"This guy's Dai Lee?" Toph whispered into Sokka's dark green cloak.

"Apparently!" He hissed. "Dear spirits, I hope he doesn't remember us…."

"If you had done your job right and not sucked at knocking people out, this wouldn't even be a problem!" She retorted.

"Well, just look at the guy! Look at his dazed, glazed over expression; if there was ever a guy with brain damage, it's him. We're good." Suddenly, they both looked up and saw May grinning at them.

"What are you two talking about?"

"Nothing!" Sokka shoved Toph off his chest and tried to look innocent. May just laughed as Toph glared daggers at Sokka.

"Aw, you guys are adorable!" Suddenly, the rocking of the carriage stopped completely; they could hear the sounds of muffled sounds of hustle and bustle all around them. "Oh, Alphonse, we're here!" She hurriedly tried to get to the window to look outside, but the carriage driver opened the door before she could get there.

"Welcome to Republic City," the carriage driver slurred, reading off a piece of scroll in his hands. "The City of potential, renewgals, and…and," He squinted at the handwriting. Finally he just gave up and pocketed the scroll. "Just grab your shit and get out." He stepped out of the way, freeing up the doorway. May looked excited while Alphonse had a quiet smile on his face; Sokka saw their subtle impatience and waved them to get out before them. May squealed and grabbed her bag while Alphonse stood up and bent over due to the compartment's low ceiling. With a grateful nod towards Sokka and Toph, the couple got off the carriage. Once everyone else had managed to get off, Sokka sighed and slowly got to his feet. He glanced down at Toph. "Ready to get this adventure started?" Toph just waved dismissively.

"Please; calling this an adventure is being generous. We'll get this done and over with, then go to Kyoshi Island to see your bitch of a girlfriend…." She paled as she realized what she said. "Sorry, I didn't mean that quite the way it sounded…." Sokka grimaced.

"You know she's not like that; we're just having a little fight is all…." Toph just gave him a look that clearly said _Does a "little fight" send you running off to Ba Sing Se, drinking like some washed up musician?_ Sokka chose to ignore it, slung his bag over his shoulder, and shuffled off the carriage. He stepped onto the street and reached his hand to Toph. "Come along, dear. You need to see this." She glared at him, but allowed Sokka to take her hand and guide her out of the carriage. The second her feet touched the stone street, her eyes widened.

"Oh…my…; d-do you have any idea…?" Her senses were almost overwhelmed from the sheer number of vibrations and people. Sokka took a good look and was flabbergasted as well.

"I think I do…." There were so many _buildings_, each of varying heights and designs. It seemed that there were buildings and shops and posters of every shape and size imaginable. Surprisingly, most of the buildings were not even in the same style they were used to; instead of the slanted, tile, ornate designs Sokka had seen in villages and cities the world over, most of the buildings were straighter, taller-_much_ taller-, and more clumped together. The Water Tribe warrior couldn't even find the words to describe the immensity of the City. People were _everywhere_; more than in Ba Sing Se. People rushing down the sidewalks, or crossing the street, dodging the rampant carriages and ostrich horses; everyone just seemed to be doing their own thing, but there were millions of things going on at once. Along the streets and hanging off some of the buildings, there were lamps-but they didn't need fire! They were lit up on their own! Above them, Sokka could see an oval-shaped airship slowly making its way around the city, a banner trailing behind it. _Some kind of communication system_, Sokka wondered, but his attention quickly went back to the lights. It was hard to believe that they were only on the outskirts of the city. He looked down the street to his left and gaped; it seemed to go on forever, with thousands of people going this way and that; the buildings only seemed to get even taller and more immense the further into the City people traveled. Sokka glanced to his right and saw a large, but still plain-looking bridge connecting to the distant shore; he couldn't believe that they had traveled over it! The talkative couple must have begun distracting them just when the carriage had gotten onto the bridge! Sokka made a mental note to himself to walk on the bridge later, if only to see the view.

Despite the impressive view, a shred of doubt began to worm its way through Sokka. He backed up against the carriage, eyes slightly widened. Toph glanced his way, noticing the increase of his heartbeat. "What's up?" She approached him while wiping a bead of sweat from her forehead. _Trying to sort out the all this shit must be testing her_, Sokka thought, feeling a little guilty. Still, he found himself admitting his concerns anyway.

"There's just so _much_ here…. When Aang described it, it was just numbers, but now that we're here…how the hell are we going to find someone here?" Toph grabbed his arm and pulled him away from the carriage, just as it set into motion, leaving them stranded on the sidewalk with the other dazed passengers.

"Relax." She waited a second, then, looking annoyed, pinched Sokka. "I can feel your heartbeat; you're not relaxing."

"And how the hell is pinching me going to help?" Sokka snapped, rubbing his now sore forearm. Toph just glared at him, which made him sigh; he could already tell this was going to be fun. His enthusiasm for adventure slightly dampened, Sokka took a deep breath, held it for a few seconds, then let it out. Toph patted his arm encouragingly.

"Isn't that better?" She smiled sweetly; Sokka just scowled. This act was already getting on his nerves and they had only just gotten off the carriage.

"Not used to the big city?" Alphonse grinned at them as he and May walked by. "I'm not surprised; I spent most of my live in Ba Sing Se and even I'm wowed by all….this." he gestured to the street in front of them.

"Yeah; it's nothing to be worried about, young man!" May laughed. "Just listen to what your fiancé tells you and everything will be fine; you'll see!" She pulled out a small piece of scroll from her bag and placed it in Toph's hand. "Here! It's where my brother lives. Feel free to stop by any time and we'll help you out however we can."

"Thanks, we'll do that." Sokka shook Alphonse's hand. "It was nice meeting you." He nodded and, while May was waving goodbye, began to make their way down the sidewalk; they were quickly enveloped by the crowd. Sokka glanced around them and noticed that he and Toph were the only passengers at the stop. Waiting a few moments, he sighed and glanced down at Toph, who looked up at him.

"So, what's the plan, oh fearless leader?" He pondered this, then nodded confidently.

"First, we need to find some place to live. To the bar!" He pointed dramatically to a building with a lit up sign that read "The Winchester". As Sokka dragged her towards the bar, Toph sighed. Now her it was her turn to wonder if they actually had a fucking clue what they were doing.

…

As Sokka reached for the doorknob, the door creaked open on its own, revealing a somber and moodily lit interior. _Well…that's a good omen_…, Sokka thought. He guided Toph to the bar and seated himself with a tired thud. The few, older patrons briefly stopped what they were doing to stare at the newcomers. Two men had been playing an odd game that involved throwing darts into a circular board, trying to accurately hit the center; Sokka's hand twitched a little instinctively. He was more than confident in his throwing ability, no matter what Toph complained. The other three patrons were sitting huddled just a few bar stools down from Sokka. After giving both him and Toph a weary glance, they quickly resumed their hushed discussion. An elderly bartender approached them, smiling kindly.

"What can I do for you youngsters this afternoon?" Sokka wrapped his arm around Toph's shoulders.

"Some Cactus Juice Lite for both me and my fiancé, my good man!" The bartender nodded and leaned down to get two glasses. While he was getting their drinks together, the bartender looked at them, interested.

"So, are you two new to town?" Toph nodded politely, still playing the feminine fiancé.

"Yes; we literally just got off the carriage." Sokka glanced at the bartender, cautious. The man might, after all, try to take advantage of their inexperience. However, if the man had any malicious intent, he didn't show it; instead, he just nodded.

"Ah, another new group of immigrants, eh? Republic City sure has gotten popular all of a sudden!"

"Well, look at it." Sokka gestured to the door and the street beyond. "The lights, the buildings, the culture…it's no wonder its reputation has grown so much! It seems like there are endless possibilities here…we can start over, become anyone we want." Toph raised an eyebrow but shrugged and just tried to look comfortable under Sokka's arm, letting him do all the talking. The old man set the drinks in front of them.

"Aye, that's true, I suppose. Thanks to the Avatar's Harmony Restoration Movement to end the Fire Nation colonies and get more folks to try and understand each other, this 'United Republic' was made. Just you two take care that the big city doesn't swallow you." Noting their confused expressions, he continued. "Most seem to lose something when they move here; due to all the close proximity, the number of people compared to the number of jobs, and gold, the city seems to draw out the worst competitiveness in people…they scramble, lie, cheat, and do anything to earn more gold than the next person. Not that I'm trying to discourage you, of course!" He hastily waved his hands. "I'm just warning you; not everyone is as kind as you may be used to, is all." Sokka and Toph nodded.

"Thanks for the heads up, mister!" Sokka took a short drink. "Say mister, why is your bar so…dead? No offense." He added, glancing at the older men at the other end of the bar, who shrugged and went back to their drinks. The bartender shook his head.

"No reason in particular; it's just the time of day. Most people are still working or otherwise engaged in the mornings and afternoons. Once night falls, this place normally gets quite packed, especially if Pro-bending is going on." Sokka nodded in understanding and went back to his drink. The bartender, satisfied, left them alone and went to the backroom.

"So, what do you think?" Sokka whispered to Toph, who took a delicate sip from her glass.

"I think I'm wondering how the hell this is going to help us find a place to live. Do you think this bar rents or something?" Sokka sighed.

"No, but bars tend to attract a lot of people who've been here longer than us; they can get us information, or at least point us in the right direction of some place."

"And if it turned out this bar was filled with assholes?"

"Then we would've moved on to a different one; the bigger the city, the more likely there's a bar on every block. You should know that." Sokka tsked; Toph just gave him a swift kick to the shin, the blow hidden by her long, green skirt.

"I know; I was just making sure you knew what you were doing, 'dear'."

"Oh come on, I always know what I'm doing!" Sokka rolled his eyes; Toph just snorted and focused on her drink. For a minute, they sat in silence, staring at the glasses before them; truthfully, neither of them was thirsty. Still, Sokka finished his glass and waved to the bartender. "So, as a more experience Republic Citian, where do you think my fiancé and I could find a decent place of lodging?"

"You mean, like an apartment?" Sokka nodded.

"Yeah! One of those. I mean, we can't just live in an inn or a bar or something for our whole lives." The elderly bartender thoughtfully stroked his beard.

"Hmm…what sort of money do you have? That greatly determines where you can room…." Sokka's eyes narrowed a little as he leaned towards the bartender.

"Well, you seem like the trustworthy sort…," He glanced at Toph who subtly kicked him twice. _Is that supposed to mean something, _Sokka wondered. _A code? Dammit, we should've gone over this earlier…well, she doesn't seem to be on edge or making an excuse to leave, so she must be comfortable with him, a bit at least…right? _Sokka hadn't planned on giving him an honest answer anyway. "Okay, we have a decent amount of gold…enough for maybe something a bit better than a barrel on the street…," seeing the man's concerned expression, Sokka quickly added. "But we have skills; we'll find work, but first we just need a good place to get us started!" The bartender thought carefully, then turned to the three man at the other end of the bar.

"Hey Shaun, have you heard about any buildings accepting new tenants for a decent price? These people here seem to be of the decent sort and deserve not to be ripped off." The tallest one-Shaun, Sokka figured- scratched his chin, looking a little nervous. He cast his friends a glance and they nodded, encouraging him. Toph gave them an attentive look, sensing their increased pulses; Sokka looked at them closely. Clearly something was scaring the shit out of them, now what could it be? Maybe something to do with the missing people? One could only hope; regardless, with his skills and the greatest earthbender in the world at his side, the Water Tribe warrior was confident they could take on whatever it was.

"Well…there was this one guy we've been hearing about. Word on the street is that he's losing so many tenants, he's practically giving rooms away...," Sokka thought about the gold that Aang had given them; while it was a more than decent sum, Sokka knew that city prices would quickly make it vanish, if they weren't careful. So a guy giving rooms away? A dream come true. No matter how crappy the room was, compared to the days they spent sleeping on hard ground during the War, it would be livable. "It's in a decent part of town too."

"Where?" The bartender asked.

"The Yellow district. The property is even near the river, so the view is great, from what we've heard." The old man nodded while Sokka was confused.

"Yellow district?" Shaun nodded.

"Yeah; ya see, Republic City is split up into social districts: Red is lowest-that's where you find the…more flexible women, if ya get me…," he cast Toph a weary glance; she just rolled her eyes and gestured for him to continue. "…and other…_shadier_ people. After that, is the Orange District, where most of the poorest folks stuck in and hands on shops. Yellow district, which is near the river and the better-off poor folks stay there, and above that is Green district, with the park and garden shit and middle class peoples. Then Blue district for the lower rich bastards, and finally you get the White district, where all the classiest, snobbiest bastards stay, in their skyscrapers and shit, you know?" Sokka nodded; it made sense, though he knew Aang and Zuko would be pissed when they found out. Then again, it was inevitable, as far as Sokka was concerned; society just seemed to love dividing itself, no matter what the new optimistic Sokka thought. There was optimism, then there was just being plain stupid. Despite reports to the contrary, Sokka was by no means stupid.

"So Yellow district…that sounds better than we were hoping for." He turned to Toph. "Right, dear?" She nodded and wrapped an arm around his waist, appearing the perfect couple.

"That sounds perfect…but what's the problem? You poor men seem to be scared of something…." Shaun stared at his fingers, almost guilty.

"Well, ya see…not that I believe in such things, mind ya! But just two nights ago, someone was attacked in their apartment…the thing was…it weren't by anything…_human_, if ya get me. Ever since, there've been sightings of some sort of cloaked…spirit monster thing, throughout the building. My buddy Ed himself swears to spirits he saw a dragon or somethin' staring at him when he was tryin' to sleep! He moved out as soon as he could, he did." Sokka and Toph shared a confused look, but Sokka couldn't suppress a shiver; after meeting Aang, the living conduct between the Spirit World and the living world, he knew a thing or two about spirits. Granted, this seemed like an odd case.

"So, you're saying this building is being…haunted? By some dragon spirit thing?" He asked. Shaun shrugged and tried to seem nonchalant.

"As I said, only if ya believe such things; ya still can't argue that price, can ya? If ya get the owner now, he'd probably give ya a good lease, given his dire straits."

"Well, apparently there must be something, if so many people are eager to move out." Toph pointed out, but Sokka laughed.

"Oh honey, how naïve you can be! There's no such thing as dragons anymore, much less some dragon monster haunting some apartment building." He turned to Shaun and shrugged, the universal "Women, what can you do?" gesture. Shaun nodded and grinned; Toph, on the other hand, subtly stomped on Sokka's foot. Blinking away tears, Sokka asked, "So Shaun, why would a 'dragon spirit' be haunting some lowtown apartment building?" Shaun leaned forward and motioned for them to lean in as well. After Sokka and Toph scooted closer to him, Shaun began.

"Apparently, 'ccordin' to a friend of mine, back when this area was being cultivated and such for a town, centuries ago, before the Fire Nation went nustso, some of them firebenders and Earth Kingdom folks lived here with some kinda dragon thing; it was odd, considerin' most dragons lives in the Fire Nation, or so the tales say. Anyway, the firebenders tame this dragon thing, see? They used it to protect the town and such and everything was great…for a while, anyways. Generations go by, this dragon thing always living and workin' with firebenders and livin' with Earth Kingdom folks. When the War came on though, the Earth Kingdom folks kicked out and killed the firebenders, see? To protect themselves and what not. Anyway, this dragon thing flips out and so the Earth people have to kill it. So they do it, but bury the dragon in the ground and build an inn on top, so the dragon would always have people around it to protect it and vice versie; they thought if things 'ver got patched up with the Fire Nation, firebenders could return and stay at the Inn or somethin'; I dunno. Anyways, when the War ended and the Republic City was created, combin' a bunch of Earth Kingdom towns and Fire Nation colonies, the inn became a apartment building, and the owner hates firebenders, see? So he keeps 'em out, which pisses off the dragon spirit thing, and now it won't stop at nothin' to get back at him or somethin'." Shaun paused. "..if ya choose to believe such things, 'course…what a loud of ostrich-horse shet, ya know?" He leaned back on his stool and took a quick sip from his glass, only to notice it was empty.

Sokka subtly took Toph's hand and squeezed it, trying to let her know _I got this_. _Dammit, we really should've gone over these signals before; what was expecting, for her to read my fucking mind? Stupid!_ "That does sound creepy enough…, but my friend, we're a tad old for fairy tales. How about you tell us how to get to this place? It sounds like it fits our needs perfectly." Shaun stopped staring at his empty glass disappointedly and looked at them. He shrugged.

"Ya funeral….granted, nothin' to be scared of, but still…. All ya gotta do is leave here, go down the street five-six blocks, turn left and it should be in the middle of the block. Name's Saint Bara. Ask for Fuin. Can't miss it." The bartender glanced down at Sokka, who fished out a few coins and placed them on the counter.

"Thank you, my good man! And get our friend Shaun over there another drink…on us." He bowed a little. "Thank you both for your helpful advice! We really appreciate it." Toph nodded and bowed as well. The bartender blinked, then smiled.

"Well, I hope you two can make it in the big City. Whenever you get settled, feel free to drop by here anytime!" Shaun raised his glass in salute to Sokka.

"Thanks man! Good luck to ya. Though…," he leaned close to Sokka and whispered. "Ya wife don't seem too…talkative, yeah? Somethin' wrong with her?" Sokka just grinned a little.

"First of all, she's my fiancé, not my wife. Second, she's always like that around new people. She's…shy…. All these new things, happening so soon, seem to have overwhelmed her a bit. Don't worry, I'll straighten her out." Shaun grinned and clapped Sokka on the back.

"See ya guys around!" Sokka and Toph waved as they walked out of the bar, bags slung over their shoulders. They closed the door behind them and turned left, walking towards the bridge. They walked in silence for a while, though Sokka noted that Toph seemed tense. Sighing, he began to wrap an arm around her waist; she smacked his hand.

"Don't even think about it." She scowled. "You're lucky I don't kick your ass here and now." Sokka blinked.

"What's up?" Toph glared at him.

"'What's up?' Well, if you're that stupid, then this 'overwhelmed', 'shy fiancé' can't spell it out for you." The Water Tribe warrior almost ran into an oncoming person, he was so taken aback. It wasn't like Toph to take things so personally, especially over some cover story lies.

"I had to say those things because that was our story, remember?" He whispered, hoping to spirits that no one overheard them. Granted, given how self-absorbed the multitudes of other walkers looked, there wasn't much need to be concerned. "Look, I'm sorry, okay? I didn't mean to make you seem weak or anything; I know how strong you are, better than anyone, remember? But we have to remember that no one can know about how badass we really are, or risk drawing the wrong kind of attention to us and possibly the missing people." Toph pursed her lips together, but said nothing. Sighing, Sokka gave in.

"Okay, I'll revise the cover story…how about this? You're the swamp, spirit priestess that my overly spirit-obsessed engaged me to? Swamp princess? Warrior princess? Come on, give me something here!" Toph couldn't help herself but smirk a little. Finally, she laughed a little and shook her head.

"I get the whole cover story thing, and I understand why you said that stuff; I don't mind being a little…feminine…but I'm not going to be some airhead Ty Lee or some quiet, invisible like Mai…."

"Thank spirits for that!" Toph raised an eyebrow and Sokka shrugged. "What? She scares me…."

"I don't?" She smirked darkly, making Sokka shiver.

"No, you do, but for different reasons." Sokka relented.

"Anyway, I just can't stand people talking down to me like that…like how my parents did for most of my life." Toph said with a shrug, as if she didn't really care that much; Sokka knew her well enough to know she was lying through her teeth. He gave her a pat on the shoulder.

"I get it, okay? No more coddling." Toph nodded and slowed down. She reached into her bag and pulled out her thin, woolen scarf that Sokka had bought her in Ba Sing Se, which she then carefully wrapped around her neck, covering the betrothal necklace. Sensing Sokka's questioning glance, she said.

"As nice as the necklace is, it would be better if the people we lived with didn't see it…we have no idea how long we'll be living there, right? That way they won't question why we aren't getting married or anything annoying like that, after months have gone by. Worst comes to worst, we just say you proposed or something the day before." Sokka could see some logic behind it and nodded.

"Sure; plus, that opens up a world of possibilities in the disguise department…," he grinned at the thought. "Besides, this whole 'dragon scare' thing actually fits perfectly into my master plan of finding those people anyway…." Toph looked at him, confused.

"How so?" Sokka smiled again, but noticed that it was time to turn left and he could see a sign in the down the street that bolding said "Vacancies…anyone welcome!"

"Okay, we don't have a lot of time…just listen to me and follow my lead, okay?"

…

"For the last time, I am not returning your deposit until the lease is up!" Ji Fuin scowled at the figity tenant before his desk. The man stood in front of his packed bags and tried to look confident.

"Look, my lease expires in a few weeks…why can't you just let me go early?" The man took a look at the furious expression on Fuin's face and winced.

"Oh, and what's got you running off, eh? Some mysterious dragon freak?" He scoffed. "Some man you are, being scared off by a rumor."

"It is not a just a 'rumor'!" The man protested. "Most people have seen it, and how else do you explain poor Ms. Fink from the third floor? Or the apartment that got trashed when no one was around? Or that Ed guy, who saw the dragon staring at him at night? Not to mention those people that no one's seen for months…the dragon got them!"

"Dragon? Do you have any idea how ridiculous you sound?" Fuin laughed darkly. The man just flushed, angry. Suddenly, there was a knock on the open door frame. "Look, I have real customers to deal with, so…," He set a few coins on the counter, along with a scroll. "Just take your damn lease and get your ass out of here. I'm sick of the sight of you." The man quickly gathered the coins and pocketed the lease. Picking up his bags, he turned and maneuvered around the two that had just walked in. One was a tall man, with shoulder length brown hair, and his lower face covered in stubble, darkening his already tan skin; he was clearly Water Tribe, even if the bright blue eyes and confident smirk didn't give it away. He was wearing a black cloak over his long sleeved, loose dark tunic and pants. The other was a young woman, whose black hair was down and grown out to about her shoulder blades. She was on the paler side, but that didn't detract from her beauty any; if anything, it suggested an air of mystery and elegance. Under her light green cloak, Fuin could see that she was clad in a rather snug, form-fitting dress, one of the fancier kind, which made him hopefully. _If she can afford something like that, then they probably not penniless bums…I may actually get some rent out of them!_ However, despite the heat, she wore a woolen scarf that seemed oddly out of place with the rest of her outfit. A memento of some kind? Though, despite her apparent wealth, Fuin was through off a bit by her eyes; those clear, light green orbs seemed to stare so…vacant yet purposeful, it was as if she could see to a person's soul…. Fuin suppressed a shiver. They both had bags slung over their shoulders, so they were clearly travelers of some kind. The man glanced at Fuin's former tenant as he walked out the door, then glanced at Fuin, an eyebrow raised.

"Bad day?" Fuin chuckled darkly at the understatement.

"Try bad week; that's the tenth tenant I've lost and this building only has eighteen rooms, not counting mine." The man winced, but nodded grimly.

"I see…. Well then, I have good news for you, my friend! This is the Saint Bara, correct?" Fuin nodded. "Perfect! Then, my partner and I would like a room please; whatever's available." _Which would be most of them…_ While Fuin dug out the paperwork, the man leaned against the desk casually. "So, mister…?"

"Fuin. Ji Fuin." The man nodded.

"Ah yes, Mister Fuin…why have so many of your tenants left? Like that guy when we walked in? When he left, he was pale…." Fuin stopped short; had these people heard the rumors? Would they be scared off if he told them? He mentally sighed; chances are, they had heard the exaggerated versions already, so where was the harm of setting the record straight? After some hesitation, he decided that the truth was probably best.

"Well, we've had a few…accidents as of late, and one of my tenants got attacked in her room on the third floor. After the power surge a few days ago, people claim to keep seeing a mysterious figure or a man wearing a dragon mask. I frankly think it's only some hoodlum with a sick sense of humor, but he's gotten some of my tenants scared, so they're packing up and moving to other places as soon as they can. And people aren't coming in, now that the tale of the haunted Saint Bara has spread throughout the whole fucking City! As it is, I have only a handful of tenants left and I don't know if I'll be able to pay the bills…my wife and I could wind up on the street, if this keeps up…." The man gave him a hard, analyzing look, which made Fuin feel a little uncomfortable; he hadn't spilt his guts to this potential client in order to be stared at awkwardly. Finally, the man nodded and gave his partner a pat on the back.

"You know what, Mister Fuin? You seem like an alright guy who's fallen behind on some hard times. How about this? You give us a discount on the rent, and we'll help you with your problem." Fuin blinked.

"Didn't you just hear me? I'm about to go broke; why the hell should I give you a discount? Besides, I've already got an odd jobs tenant, however much of a useless jackass he is; what could you do to possibly help me that he can't?" The man chuckled and his partner smirked.

"Listen my friend, I'm Sou and this here is Omai." Omai waved. "And no offense to this jackass or whatever, but I seriously doubt he's got anything on us. We're the best at what we do, without peer! And we can solve this haunting of yours, without a doubt!" Fuin scoffed.

"Right, whatever you say, Mister 'Sou'." Sou just smirked.

"Go on, try lying to us." Fuin stared at the two, skeptical; were they actually serious? Well, Fuin may not consider himself a coward, but he could certainly lie when he had to.

"My wife and I have been married for twenty-five years, I inherited this place from my grandfather, and…I like fire flakes cold." He crossed his arms and stared down the unblinking duo, daring them to prove him wrong. The man rubbed his chin thoughtfully.

"I'd say…true, false, and false; how about you, Omai?" The woman smiled.

"Yeah, same here." Fuin's stance weakened. How had they known? Seeing his surprised expression, Sou grinned.

"You want to know how we figured it out?" Fuin nodded. "Well, for starters, you have a ring on your finger but don't give off that 'freshly married' glow or hold yourself with the sort of subtle aura of…joy? Contentment? Whatever; regardless, you have a ring, but the married live has long since shifted out of its 'wow' stage, meaning the affect is not nearly as present or apparent in your bearing. But the marriage is a dedicated one; you're the type who honors commitment, judging by how you treated that man when we walked in. You're in things for the long haul, better or worse. And, no offense, but you don't seem to be on the…younger side, if you will." Fuin's jaw fell a little; he saw all that from just a few minutes of conversation?

"As for the other two, well, you don't seem like a fan of the Fire Nation given how the names of the Fire Nation colonials are practically carved on your tenant list and how few them there are, despite your available room, so I doubt you eat fire flakes at all, much less eat them cold-which is disgusting, by the way. And the quality of this place does seem old, but if this place really carried down from your grandfather or older, chances are you would advertise its legacy a lot more, emphasize how it's been in 'your family for generations' or something along that line." Sou smiled at Fuin. "Sound about right?"

Fuin didn't speak for a minute. _Could these guys really help me?_ "I can't believe you saw all that, in such a short amount of time…."

"And that was only a trial run. As I said, I think we can help you with your 'ghost problem', and if we do, you'll give us a discount on the rent. Sound fair? In fact, you don't have to even give us the discount until after this dragon is dealt with." Sou stuck out his hand. Fuin stared the man in the eye; he seemed genuinely concerned and trustworthy. He shook Sou's hand.

"Fine but…just who are you guys? What is it you do?" Sou put his arm around Omai and they both grinned.

"We told you: I'm Omai and this idiot here is Sou, and we're the best damn detectives you're ever going to meet."

…

**Now then, for those who guessed, I tried to go for a Scooby-Doo like mystery to start things off…because one can't do mysteries without proper tribute to the Doo. Anyway, I hope you liked it! As you can probably tell, I'm trying to tie it in with Legend of Korra as much as I can, but I had to make up a few details about Republic City since they're being so darn tightlipped about it. So if it turns out to be inaccurate, just keep in mind that A. It's fanfiction and B. this is about sixty five-sixty seven years before Korra (BK, not to be mixed up with Burger King). Things can change in that time span…*cough, shifty eyes* Hopefully, the next part should come out in the next month or so (as I said, I'm a slow writer, so please forgive me…) As I said, I am taking suggestions for cases or mysteries if people have any stories they'd like to see or parodied; depending on how popular the case portions are, I may make a side fic solely dedicated to them….if they catch on or I just can't help myself. **

**Anyway, thank you so much for reading! Be sure to let me know what you think/how I can improve!**

**For those that think some of this author note looks familiar, than good for you, you read the separate story version as well! Thanks for your extra support!**

**Read and Review (because everyone needs to get their daily R and R in…the doctor on TV said so)!**


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